


Dehumanized

by ASchwartz33



Category: Naruto
Genre: Depression, Eventual Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, No Uchiha Massacre, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rape/Non-con Elements, Suicidal Thoughts, Uchiha Shisui Lives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:29:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 33,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22458001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ASchwartz33/pseuds/ASchwartz33
Summary: Kakashi and Tenzo's mission goes horribly wrong, and they are left to try to heal during the aftermath.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Yamato | Tenzou, Hatake Kakashi/Yamato | Tenzou
Comments: 70
Kudos: 155





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Heed the warnings people! Apparently I can only write in a way that makes these two (or at least Tenzo) suffer lately. It WILL get better... I swear!
> 
> You can follow me on tumblr! I post sneak peeks for other stories and random shit. @kakayamaforever

It was 10:30 in the morning, and Kakashi had been summoned to hokage tower… an hour ago. He was late, of course. No doubt Tenzo was already there, waiting diligently while cursing his captain in his head. Did Kakashi get some sort of sick amusement out of making his kohai wait for him? Probably. 

The younger boy was only 16, but he was the best subordinate that Kakashi had ever had. Even if Kakashi was being an ass, Tenzo still followed orders. (Though not without giving his captain a well deserved lecture first.) Kakashi may have been older, but that didn't mean he was more mature. 

The third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was waiting patiently in his office when the 19 year old finally arrived. Tenzo, however, had his arms crossed in a huff. "You're late." 

Kakashi started in with one of his excuses. "Maa, Tenzo, there was an old lady who needed an escort-"

"Save it." Tenzo said simply. The teenager was trying to glare a hole through Kakashi's face, though the silver haired ninja knew he had already been forgiven. 

"Kakashi, Tenzo, I have a mission for you." The older man suddenly cut in. "This is an A rank, but has the potential to be more difficult." 

Kakashi and Tenzo listened carefully as their newest mission was laid out for them. 

"There is a long road between the towns of Chikara and Hinawa in northern fire country. It seems there is a kidnapping ring working along its path, taking children and teenagers alike. So far, the 30 confirmed victims have been between the ages of 8 and 17. We don't know what they have been doing, but so far our preliminary reports lead us to believe that this is a civilian organization that is behind it. I need you to go undercover, walk the road until you gather their attention. What I'm asking may be a bit difficult." The hokage explained slowly. He sighed deeply before continuing. "You must let them capture you. We need them to take you to their hideout, and find out what their game is." 

"But sir… aren't I a bit old for this mission?" Kakashi asked curiously. 

"You are, but I happen to know that without that mask, you don't  _ look _ 19\. Also, in order for this to work, we will need to seal away your sharingan." 

Kakashi opened his mouth to protest, but Hiruzen held up a hand to stop him. "It won't be a complicated seal, you will only need to send chakra to your eye for it to be removed." 

Kakashi relaxed. He could work with that, though he wasn't too thrilled that he was going to have to do this mission maskless. 

"Once you are in, you need to gather information and bust out. You can detain enemies if you feel you are capable of doing so, but we can always raid the hideout once you return or send coordinates." Hiruzen continued. "Understood?"

Both boys nodded. 

  
  


~

  
  


That had been a week ago. Now, Kakashi Was walking along the most boring road in all of existence, wearing awful civilian clothes that he'd bought two days beforehand. Fortunately, Tenzo was good company. They got along fairly well, and conversation flowed easily between them. Every so often, between real topics, Kakashi would throw out something made up, prompting a random conversation that neither knew anything about. 

"So, are you going to take Jessica out on that date?" Kakashi asked with a grin. He had never known anyone by that name in his entire life, and he was pretty sure Tenzo hadn't either. It was interesting to hear all the improvising that Tenzo could do. 

"I don't know… she's kind of  _ mean  _ to me, don't you think?" Tenzo offered. 

"So she hit you with a cake pan… that doesn't make her  _ mean _ . You probably deserved it." Kakashi said with a shrug.

"She dunked my head in the toilet!" Tenzo squawked defensively. "Three times!"

"Yes, but didn't you take the last slice of pizza?" Kakashi said with a smile. 

"Exactly. She probably hates me. Jessica is more likely to  _ stab  _ me than to go on a date with me. I'll save myself the trouble of a  _ very painful _ rejection and just not ask." Tenzo answered. 

"Maa, if you insist." Kakashi answered, laughing lightly. He felt the presence suddenly behind them. At least three people that hadn't been there before.  _ Looks like this is it. _

"Are you ready for the journey?" Kakashi asked vaguely, knowing Tenzo had probably felt the presence too. 

"It will probably suck, but yes. Sounds kind of like a long trip, though." Tenzo answered. This mission had been slotted for two weeks. At least a week of that being held captive by civilians. It didn't exactly sound fun. 

"Yeah, I feel the same way." Kakashi answered dryly, making extra effort not to flinch when the heavy object came at the back of his head. 

The older ninja was hit with what felt like a frying pan. At the same time, he felt a pressure on the back of his knees, forcing his legs to buckle and crash down to the dirt. He yelped a little at the pain, the sound only half fake because  _ damn that hurt. _ He turned both of his eyes towards Tenzo (both of them matching gray with the sealing jutsu), seeing that he was hit a little harder and was bleeding behind his head a bit. 

Hands were on him, forcing him to the ground with a bit more strength than he was expecting. He resisted, trying to put up the facade of someone trying to escape capture as he yelled out at his attackers. Kakashi found that even if he had resisted at full strength, he might not have escaped. He didn't actually start to worry until a needle was jabbed into his neck. How sure was the third hokage that this was a  _ kidnapping  _ ring and not a group just  _ murdering  _ people?

He felt his chakra sapped away, and Kakashi started to  _ really _ panic. He felt weak, like he had been sick with the flu for a week. The ninja turned his head towards his young kohai, watching as they snapped a metal ring around his neck. The thing was about an inch thick, and was black with silver markings on it. A seal? He didn't have much time to react as one was fastened around his neck as well. 

"You think we didn't know you were ninjas?" A man behind him growled out. "With this, your chakra won't return to you, and ironically, the seal can only be broken with chakra." 

Kakashi was ripped to his feet, and the damn things were barely able to hold his weight with how exhausted his body was. He locked eyes with Tenzo, and found the large brown orbs completely overtaken by panic and fear. Kakashi was trying to remain calm, but this mission had just escalated to an S rank, and he wasn't sure how they would escape without chakra. 

A man just a few years older than him moved into his vision. The man was dirty, wearing old clothes and missing a few teeth. "Oh! This one is so pretty! And he has a nice scar on his eye. You know, if we give him a red contact, we could probably pretend he's that ninja from the leaf village!" 

A woman came around and slapped him upside the head. "No one will fall for that, you buffoon!" She turned to look at Kakashi's panicked face. "He  _ is  _ awfully pretty though. I bet we get good money for him." 

Kakashi was definitely nervous now. This was a human trafficking ring? Were they going to sell him into slavery… or worse? Their focus on his face made him excessively uncomfortable for what was to come, and he didn't feel any better as the black bag was placed over his head and his hands were tied behind his back. 

  
  


~

  
  


After what felt like hours of being dragged on his feet, Kakashi was thrown to the ground roughly. The ties on his hands were cut, and the all-too familiar squeaking of a chain link gate rang through the air. Kakashi ripped the bag off of his head as fast as his sickly arms would allow. They were underground, by the looks of it. The floor was cement, but the walls were still dirt and rock. They were inside of what was basically a thick chain link cage. There was a sink, bathtub, and toilet, so Kakashi had to assume they had water down here. There wasn't a bed, only a pile of tattered blankets on the ground. 

Tenzo looked pale as he removed the bag, taking in his surroundings warily. "How the hell are we supposed to break out of here without chakra?" He whispered harshly. 

Kakashi shook his head. He didn't know. He reached up to fiddle with the thing around his neck. It was a bit tight… to the point Kakashi couldn't even get one full finger under it. There was a small handle type bar on the back, but otherwise it was flat. As he felt along the edges, the thing started to heat up, until eventually white hot pain flashed through his system and his vision went black. 

Kakashi came to on his back on the floor. Tenzo was looking down at him with wide eyes. "What the hell happened?" Kakashi grumbled. 

"I think that collar tried to electrocute you." Tenzo spoke softly. "Maybe we shouldn't mess with them for now." 

Kakashi slowly pulled himself from the floor. His bones ached as he moved to sit against the back wall. Tenzo joined him, leaving a small gap between them as he settled on the floor. The younger boy sighed softly. "We're in trouble, aren't we?" 

Kakashi looked to his kohai. "Yeah." 

  
  
  


~

  
  


Kakashi wasn't certain how long it had been. Days? Hours? With no daylight he couldn't tell. The light in their cage was the only thing illuminating the dark cave, and they couldn't see past its metal confines. They hadn't seen or heard anyone else since they had been so violently shoved in here. What the hell was the purpose of this?

If Kakashi's stomach was any sort of tell, it had been more than two days. They slept off and on, most often taking turns. The two ninja remained against the wall, but had brought the pile of blankets over once their bodies started to chill. 

Had they been left here to die? They had no food, and only managed to have water from the sink. The cage held no clues, and bore no weaknesses from what Kakashi could tell. It may be chain link, but the older boy was certain it was reinforced with chakra… unusual if they had been taken by civilians. 

  
  
  


~

  
  


It had been three days. Kakashi was sure of it. Tenzo had finally started to show signs of hunger. His training in the foundation had been extensive, and he  _ never  _ showed he was hungry until the three day mark. They sat together against the wall still, bodies drained and shaking. 

Footsteps echoed through the darkness, and Kakashi felt his body tense up painfully. He knew Tenzo felt the same apprehension at whatever was finally coming their way. 

A large, bulky man stepped into view. He used his chakra to open the gate and enter. As Kakashi had suspected, this wasn't purely a civilian run operation. The man set two bowls on the floor, and left as quickly as he had come. After a few minutes of silence, Kakashi moved forward to examine the bowls. These were… dog bowls? 

When Kakashi peered inside one of them, he was happy to note that it was  _ not  _ dog food in the bowl, but what appeared to be plain rice. He lifted a bowl to his face, sniffing the contents for any trace of poison. Tenzo was at his side, curiosity overwhelming his urge to wait for his captain's orders. 

When he didn't smell anything, Kakashi couldn't wait anymore. They weren't left any utensils, of course, so he reached in and scooped some rice with his hand. 

The rice was plain, tasteless. But it calmed his stomach for the moment. Tenzo sucked the other bowl down greedily, tears of relief falling down his face. Kakashi felt bad that Tenzo had been trapped in this mess with him. He felt even worse knowing that they would likely die here. 

The jonin stretched back out against the wall. This time, Tenzo leaned on him a slight amount. Kakashi took comfort in the contact he would normally shy away from. He shut his eyes as his body calmed a bit with some food finally in his system. 

The next time the big man brought them food, Kakashi was certain another day had already passed. 

"Why are you doing this? What are we here for?" Kakashi called to him. The man stared at him with a scowl on his face. He pulled a small black object out of his pocket and watched. 

"Answer me!" Kakashi shouted angrily. The man held out the hand with the square object that Kakashi now recognized as a remote, and pressed a button. The collar on Kakashi's neck shocked him to the point of knocking him to the floor. 

His body shook with tremors, but he managed to lift himself back off the floor. The man was gone, and Tenzo helped support his weak form. "Senpai, are you alright?" 

"I think so. They're treating us like dogs… and just barely feeding us enough to stay alive. I don't understand what the goal is." Kakashi replied quietly. "What was the purpose of kidnapping us?"

"It reminds me of the foundation in a way." Tenzo replied suddenly. Kakashi didn't follow his train of thought, so he waited for the boy to continue. 

"They are trying to take away our humanity, I think. That's why they won't talk to us, keep our bodies weak, and shock us if we attempt to speak to them. It's like when they turned us into  _ tools,  _ they had to make us less than human first." Tenzo continued. 

"But what are they trying to turn us into?" Kakashi mused quietly as he ate his small serving of rice. 

  
  


~

  
  


If Kakashi's estimations were correct, they had been here an entire week. They were being fed once a day, and only a small amount. Their bodies were insanely weak, and any attempts to escape or fight back would just be pathetic. 

This time, when the man showed up, he wasn't alone. Kakashi and Tenzo were huddled back against the wall, shrinking in on themselves as the men moved closer to them. The food man, who Kakashi had dubbed Brutus, snatched Kakashi's arm and dragged him away from Tenzo. Kakashi called out for the younger boy, trying unsuccessfully to pull away from the large man.

Once they were out of the cage, Brutus grabbed the handle on the back of Kakashi's collar and continued dragging him, choking the jonin every time he fell behind or his legs gave out. He tried to look back to see if Tenzo was going too, but each time he did Brutus gave a violent shove on the collar. If Kakashi hadn't been too weak to fight, he would have ripped the man's head off. 

The path they traveled was random. Kakashi couldn't memorize it if he tried. Maybe if he could activate his sharingan… but that just wasn't possible without chakra. For now, he was stuck with two useless gray eyes. 

They entered into a widened room. There was a light trained on the center, right where Brutus was taking him. The man threw him to the floor. "Stay." He ordered in a growl. After the brutal traveling to get here, Kakashi wasn't sure he could move even if he wanted to. His eyes adjusted slowly, his sealed left eye much slower than the other. The room was empty, and Brutus stood behind him in the shadows. Through the darkness surrounding the edges of the room, Kakashi could barely make out the outlines of darkened windows lining the walls. 

_ He had a bad feeling about this. _

A woman's voice rang out over the loudspeaker. "Item number one. Male, unbroken. Estimated age, 17. Estimated to be intact. Bidding starts at ten thousand dollars." 

Kakashi's body started shaking. Was he being sold? Such a cheap price made him think otherwise. Even on the black market, people sold for much more than that. Intact? Unbroken? What the hell does that mean? 

Unbroken… like a dog? Maybe they were referring to the fact that he still had some fight left in him. If he was being sold, what would happen to Tenzo? 

"Bidding complete. Customer number 4, please claim your reward in room number 1." The voice rang out again. 

Tears stung at Kakashi's eyes as Brutus yanked him to his feet by the collar again. If his neck wasn't broken by the time this was over, he'd be surprised. They moved out of the big room, through a side door Kakashi hadn't noticed. The room he was dragged into was small, with a large metal table, and several mechanical looking attachments around the room. One was on the end of the table, it was flat and had a ball joint connected to it. Another hung from the ceiling, and there was at least one on the floor. Kakashi was pushed to the ground roughly, and Brutus clamped a metal bracelet onto each of Kakashi's wrists. 

Kakashi tried to rip his hands away, too afraid to yell at the man lest he be shocked senseless again. He was too weak, and the man was too strong. He was pulled over to the middle of the room, and his pale arms were stretched up to the metal bracket. The bracelets on his wrists clung to it, forcing him to stand on his toes.

Kakashi tried with whatever strength he could muster, but his arms wouldn't release. He was getting scared now. The other word sticking out in his mind.  _ Intact _ . What the hell does that mean? Were they commenting on the fact that he was… a  _ virgin? _

His legs were shaking uncontrollably now, and his calves were cramping from supporting his body weight. He was turned to face the door, the connection to the ceiling spinning along with him on a ball joint. An older man walked in, a grin on his face that made Kakashi uncomfortable. 

"You know the rules?" Brutus asked seriously. 

"Yes." The man replied. 

"If you hurt him too badly, press the medic button when you leave. Do you require any supplies?" Brutus asked as he moved towards the door. 

"No. I brought my own." 

"You have three hours." The large man grumbled before leaving Kakashi alone with the man. 

Kakashi had  _ never  _ wanted his mask more than he did right now, with this strange man staring at him like he was a steak. "What the fuck do you want?!" Kakashi spat out at the man ogling him. 

The man laughed. "The unbroken ones really are the best." He mumbled to himself. The man stepped forward, leaning in to smell the boy as he struggled to try to free his wrists. 

"That won't work, you know. You have to have chakra to release that." The man informed him. Kakashi kicked out at him, but even with the new adrenaline in his system it barely made an impact. The man caught his leg, holding on to it with both hands in a way that made Kakashi start to panic. One of his hands slid up Kakashi's inner thigh. The jonin just barely managed to pull his leg away. "Don't fucking touch me!" 

The man tilted his head, a smile that Kakashi could only describe as  _ evil  _ on his face. "Tell me, young one. Are they correct in assuming you're a virgin?" 

Kakashi remained silent, refusing to make eye-contact with this man who apparently intended to hurt him. 

"I'll take that as a yes. You should be so lucky. Unlike others that frequent this establishment, I don't care to use blood as lube. I have a penchant for sweet little virgins though." The man spoke as he reached out, grabbing Kakashi's jaw angrily and forcing eye contact. "You have such a pretty face. I think I will try not to ruin it." 

Kakashi glared at him.  _ Lucky? _ In what world would he  _ ever  _ be considered 'lucky' in this moment. He was a virgin… had never even been  _ kissed _ , and that was going to be taken away from him by force, apparently. The man released Kakashi's face, but moved closer anyway. "Keep struggling, and maybe I'll invite all of my friends in here. They'll fuck you bloody, use you over and over again until you won't be able to walk right ever again. And then when you're laying on the floor, broken and half dead, I'll take  _ my  _ turn." The man paused, letting his words sink in. 

" _ Or, _ you can quit trying to kick me and I won't have someone come in here to break your legs." The man offered. 

Kakashi couldn't hold it back anymore. He cried. He cried for his tired body, for the food he would probably never have again, and for the virginity he was going to lose unwillingly. Then he cried for the chakra that had been gone from his body for too long, leaving him feeling empty as if his soul was missing. Last, he cried for Tenzo. His poor sweet kohai, 3 years younger, probably in the same exact situation he was in. Would they be killed when this was all over? Would he get a chance to say goodbye to the boy that had followed him around like a shadow for 3 years? 

Kakashi continued to cry as the man pulled out a kunai to remove his clothes. These stupid,  _ stupid  _ civilian clothes that didn't even matter because they had already been aware of the chakra running through their systems. 

"Mmm… you're such a pretty boy.  _ So, so very pretty  _ when you cry." The man hummed softly. 

Kakashi flinched away when the man started to run his hands through his silver hair. The man cut through his clothes quickly, not bothering to worry when he sliced through some of Kakashi's pale skin. The jonin cried out, feeling the blood running down his chest slowly. With his clothes gone, he felt more exposed than ever. He wanted his mask. He wanted his Anbu uniform… or even the jonin uniform he had never really worn that he hated. 

When the man released his bracelets from the ceiling, Kakashi didn't have the strength or time to react before they were hooked to the end of the table. He was face down, his chest pressed to the cold metal. The table was only so long, and his legs hung down to the floor, exposing himself to the dangerous man who was now looming behind him. 

Kakashi cried and cried as the man hit him with his hands, and objects he had apparently brought with him. He continued to cry and yell as the man forcefully inserted things into him, continuing to punch and hit him as he went. 

He  _ definitely _ didn't stop crying when the man used the ball joint to flip him on his back, forcing his legs up and taking from him the last thing he had ever wanted to give. 

When the three hours were up and the man had gone, Kakashi was still crying when Brutus found him, still attached to the table. The man didn't care. All Kakashi could see in the man's judgemental eyes was contempt and disgust at the pathetic being in front of him. Kakashi wasn't a person to him. He never was. Kakashi wasn't a teenager trapped in a hellhole he would never escape from... he was an object to be used. 

Part of Kakashi hoped that the man was there to kill him. Maybe he would be put out of his misery. Then again, another part of him felt that he needed to stay alive for Tenzo's sake. 

Brutus removed the bracelets, leaving them attached to the table as he ripped Kakashi up by his collar again. The man couldn't care less that Kakashi was bleeding, or that when he was yanked up to his feet, an awful liquid was running down his legs that he was afraid to examine. His body ached as he was practically dragged down the hall, naked and injured and covered in whatever the other man had left behind. 

Vaguely, he recognized their path. Kakashi was being taken back to his cage. How long until he was returned to the round room for auction? 

When the dark cage came into sight, Kakashi was almost relieved. Here, there weren't any perverts and creeps. His relief stopped short when he realized Tenzo wasn't there. He was thrown to the cement floor again, something he had come to expect from Brutus. The man threw a ratty pair of boxers at him before leaving. Kakashi put them on quickly, trying not to think about where they had come from. 

The young ninja moved back to his safe place against the wall, and curled in on himself with a blanket. 


	2. Chapter 2

The next time Kakashi heard footsteps, it was the second large man that had shown up with Brutus earlier. He was dragging Tenzo's naked body behind him, the boy desperately trying to keep his footing as the man trudged on. 

The man threw Tenzo down so hard that Kakashi was certain the boy would bounce up into the wall. Kakashi wouldn't move until after the man left. He threw Tenzo a similar pair of boxers to cover his shame as he exited the cage. 

Kakashi crawled to the younger boy. "Tenzo." He whispered softly, his voice hoarse and awful sounding to his ears. "Are you okay?" 

Tenzo didn't answer. He whimpered softly on his side on the floor and curled up into a ball. Kakashi didn't know what to do. If it was him curled up on the floor, he wouldn't want anyone to touch his body after what had just happened to him. 

Brutus returned a few minutes later, carrying a pile of things that he threw carelessly on the floor. He looked at the pair of teenagers in disgust. "Clean yourselves up. You're  _ disgusting _ ." 

With the man gone again, Kakashi moved slowly to check out the supplies he had dropped. Towels, an empty pitcher, a few bandages and injury ointments, and some liquid soap. At the bottom of the pile, were two sets of ratty clothes. It seems they were interested in keeping them alive… for the time being. 

When Kakashi turned back, Tenzo was watching him. The boy had a nasty black eye, and some concerning bruising around his neck and mouth. His eyes were red, and the rest of his body was covered in bruises and cuts much like Kakashi's. 

"Tenzo… we should clean up. Can I help you wash your hair?" Kakashi asked timidly. With the collars on, the older boy knew they would have to wash their hair and faces in the sink. Tenzo's eyes drifted to the sink, following his captain's thoughts process, and nodded slowly. 

They washed each other's hair in the sink carefully, trying not to get the collars wet and risking electrocution. For all Kakashi knew, they were waterproof. But that wasn't a risk he was willing to take. 

Kakashi ran a bath in the small, dingy tub. The water didn't warm much, but it was better than nothing. He had Tenzo take the first bath, resuming his place along the wall to give the boy what little privacy he could. When Tenzo was dry and dressed, Kakashi ran a second bath for himself. He scrubbed at his sore body, trying desperately to wash away the shame, and the lingering feelings of another person's unwanted hands on him. 

When Kakashi was finished, Tenzo opened up the blankets he had wrapped around him, an open invitation for the young Anbu captain to climb in close for some form of comfort. He accepted without hesitation. 

The two shaking teenagers huddled up together, both silently crying and leaning on each other for support. Eventually, their bodies wore down and they each drifted off into sleep. 

  
  
  


~

  
  
  


How long had they been there? Kakashi had lost track a long time ago. Every few days, Brutus and his friend would retrieve the pair for the auctions. 

Kakashi didn't know what part of it was the worst. Maybe it was people who paid for him and threw him around the room. Maybe it was the ones who trapped him on the floor underneath them, or the rare occurrence where it was a woman who had bought his time… forcing drugs down his throat, riding on him and punching him in the gut at the same time. Maybe it was that man who had choked him repeatedly with his collar, going so far that he had to call a medic to revive him. Perhaps it was the  _ group _ of people who had bought both Tenzo  _ and  _ Kakashi, or the one who almost choked him on the cock that was too big for his inexperienced throat. Maybe… maybe it was the fact that most of them had talked about his  _ pretty face _ . 

He had no fight left, no tears left to cry as his body was repeatedly used. Now, when he was auctioned off, the woman's voice would say he was "experienced and broken in". He assumed they said the same thing for Tenzo. 

The two had tried to speak to each other every day, though they had run out of things to talk about a while ago. It was the only thing they had left to keep each other from losing their humanity entirely. They had both lost weight, with Tenzo's face sullen and his eyes sunken in, he looked half a corpse. Kakashi knew he must look similar. How people could still be interested in purchasing time with someone who was so malnourished and easily breakable, he didn't know. 

Sometimes, he considered dunking his head in the bathtub. He wanted to see if the collar would electrocute him. But instead, he would think about how he would be leaving Tenzo behind. Other times, he would consider holding  _ Tenzo's _ head under the water. 

In the end, he was too weak. In body, mind, and heart. He didn't have the courage to put Tenzo out of his misery, just as he would never be able to do it for himself. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he knew that the allotted time for their mission had ended  _ long  _ ago, and a very small part of him still hoped for a rescue. 

The rest of him, the rational part, knew that it had been  _ far  _ too long, and any hope of tracking them was practically non-existent. Maybe his name was already on the memorial stone. Tenzo's would never be put on there. He was an unknown, always behind the mask. There was nobody to be upset with his absence. In fact, the only person that would have petitioned the Hokage for his name on the stone would have been Kakashi. 

Eventually, even the talking stopped, and their captors had apparently given up on giving them full sets of clothes to replace the ones ruined during their 'encounters'. 

  
  
  


~

  
  
  


Might Gai had been running for quite some time. They had finally,  _ finally  _ gotten a lead on the group kidnapping people. Once it had been clear that Kakashi was not coming back, Gai had petitioned the Hokage every day for information. After the first month Kakashi had been gone, the old man finally sighed and admitted that the Anbu's mission was only supposed to take two weeks. It took another week for the Hokage to spill the details. For over four months, Gai had been combing the road and surrounding areas with a team of his own. 

Finally, after enlisting Tsume Inuzuka, they caught a lead. Another boy had gone missing from a neighboring village, and his scent was fresh. Gai, Tsume, Genma, and two masked Anbu (Gai assumed they were the other two members of Kakashi's team), all were on the trail. The large building was surprisingly far from the road. As they made their way through the hideout, Gai had been knocking out all the targets he could… though after a while he realized the two Anbu had been finishing them off when he moved on. 

The upper floors were a bust, and it took longer than he had hoped for Tsume to find the entrance to the underground levels. On the first level under the ground, they had to stop and call for reinforcements. Most of the enemy weren't ninja, and the ones that were, they were able to take care of easily enough. The problem was that they had too many victims to take care of and not enough hands to help them. It seemed the further they moved from the door, the longer they had been there. They looked worse and worse, with the last person they found on the first level being a girl that Gai recognized from the files. She had been abducted 3 months ago. 

Kakashi had been missing for six. What would  _ he _ look like? Was he even still here? 

The rooms they found were terrifying, and their purpose obvious. This was a sex trafficking ring. On the second level down, they had found mostly corpses in the cages. The enemies were all dead, and Gai couldn't help but notice that  _ none  _ of these victims were ninja. If Kakashi and his partner had been found out, had they been killed? 

There was a narrow hallway at the end of the second level, and past it was a room with a single cage in the back. Gai could see that there was someone in it, and he approached through the darkness, wary of what he would see. 

All his breath escaped him as he looked upon them. Kakashi, barely recognizable, was huddled back against the wall with another boy who Gai assumed was the one named Tenzo. 

They were pale, deathly thin, and covered in bruises. The two were attempting to cover themselves with a ratty blanket that was half disintegrated. Their hair had been crudely cut with a knife. They had collars on, and from what Gai could tell, were only wearing boxers. Tsume walked up next to him, staring at the empty dog bowls on the floor and the random blood stains on the concrete. 

"Kakashi?" Gai called out, waiting for Tsume to open the gate with her chakra. The boy didn't answer… he didn't even look up. Gai tried the other one. "Tenzo?" 

The brunette slowly looked up, but Gai could tell he wasn't answering to his name. He looked confused about all the noise. They had learned a great deal about this place from the victims on the first floor, about the tactics they used to break them. These two probably didn't even recognize their own names at this point. 

Gai moved in slowly, trying not to spook the two boys. Halfway in, he realized it didn't matter. They were hardly aware of Gai's presence, and they probably assumed he was there to hurt them anyway. He knelt in front of his rival. "Kakashi?" The boy didn't answer again. 

Gai took a moment, watching Kakashi's unmoving face. His  _ bare  _ face. Even as sickly and weak as he was, Gai was still shocked to see how handsome the man's face was. He knew better than to mention something like that at a time like this. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the small fabric mask. 

"Kakashi, I brought you a mask." Gai offered, holding his hand out with the cloth. Kakashi continued to stare at the floor, so the green-clad giant stretched the fabric and moved towards the Anbu's head. Kakashi flinched slightly, seemingly aware of Gai's presence after all. The ninja didn't falter, continuing in his mission and fixing the mask over the lower half of his face. When it was on, the other ninja finally looked at him. 

Gai placed an affectionate hand on the man's head, but Kakashi still didn't seem very coherent. Gai reached for the collar, determined to get whatever it was off of his neck. 

"Wait… don't move it." A voice spoke softly behind him. It seemed they had been here long enough for their reinforcements to arrive. The Hyuuga behind him was looking at Kakashi with the byakugan. "That thing is keeping their chakra from building. If they haven't had chakra in their systems for six months, we could kill them by removing the collars. Lady Tsunade has been summoned back to the village. We should leave them on until then." 

Gai sighed. "Very well. Bring me two cloaks." 

  
  
  


~

  
  
  


When Gai had attempted to carry Kakashi out of the cage, the man started panicking, reaching out for the other boy. "It's okay, Kakashi. He's right there. He's coming home too." Gai attempted to reassure him. The man wouldn't settle down until Tsume carried Tenzo where Kakashi could still see him. They were both so small... so light and easy to carry. How close to death were these two? 

Out in the daylight, Kakashi hissed in pain at the brightness. They would travel the rest of the way with him unconscious. Tsume put both boys under with her chakra. 

Of the rest of the survivors, some could walk, but most had to be carried. More Anbu members had shown up to investigate and interrogate the few enemies that had survived. The group traveled quietly down the road, with Gai and Tsume at the forefront. 

When they entered the village gates, there was a whole entourage of nurses and ninjas standing by to help. Most notably, the Hokage was waiting to see who had survived. He looked to the crumpled bundle in Gai's arms, seeing a pale arm hanging down limply. 

"They are alive. Barely." Gai said solemnly. 

At the hospital, in a room with dimmed lights, Gai showed the older man and Lady Tsunade the collar. Kakashi and Tenzo were both unconscious still, and the Hokage looked sick with worry at what he had sent his own men into. Gai told him everything as Tsunade examined the two unconscious boys. The civilian victims were less concerning than these two. From what they had gathered, the people who were abducted didn't live long, and the two boys had a large amount of lasting damage to their system. 

Gai couldn't move his eyes away from his friend. His throat was the part that bothered him the most, with extensive bruising and scarring around the edges of the collar. He had been suffering this whole time. 

When they decided to wake Kakashi, Gai volunteered to support his body. He held the Anbu up, stabilizing him as Tsunade pressed her fingers to the cold skin on his temple. 

Kakashi opened his eyes slowly, blinking both gray eyes carefully as he examined the faces around him in the dim room. 

"Do you remember your name?" Tsunade asked slowly. Kakashi looked at her for a moment, before moving his eyes to Tenzo's unmoving form on the bed across from them. Tsunade caught his gaze, and reassured him quickly. "He's fine. He's just sleeping. Do you remember what your name is?" 

  
  
  


~

  
  


Kakashi didn't know what to think. All these people were around him, watching him. It was different than what he was used to. The eyes were filled with pity and sadness as they looked on. They didn't have that predatory gaze that he had grown accustomed to, and this room was much brighter than he had seen in a long time. Someone was holding him, he realized, and his body stiffened uncontrollably. His limbs shook, and he tried to register what the woman was trying to ask. His name?

He… wasn't sure. Didn't he have a name? Yes… yes he did. He nodded his head slowly at the woman, who felt vaguely familiar. The old man sagged with relief, and Kakashi knew that he should know who it was. The most familiar to him was the person holding him. Something tried to drag itself out of the back of his mind, but it was unsuccessful. 

"He still looks confused." The man holding him spoke softly. Kakashi jumped at the voice, still unsure of where he was or what was happening. 

"It's okay. You're home now. No one's going to hurt you here." The blond woman spoke quietly. Home? He was home? He wasn't sure what that even meant anymore. 

"Can you tell me your name?" The woman asked hopefully. Perhaps he nodded too soon to the other question. His name evaded his mind as he carefully searched through what memories he had left. How long had it been since he had heard his name? Months. The other boy had said it last, one of the times they were screaming for each other as they were dragged apart. 

_ Kakashi. _ That was it. He opened his mouth. How long had it been since he had spoken? Probably at least a month, not that he really had any concept of time anymore. "Ka-" he started, but his voice left him quickly. The woman reached for him, and he recoiled away from the punishment. He couldn't even remember his name. What good was he? 

The sad look in her eyes as she retracted her hand startled him almost as much as her movement had. "It's okay, sweetie. Try again. Your voice just needs to warm up." 

Kakashi reached his hands up to touch the fabric on his face. It felt so familiar, like a piece of himself had finally been returned. He tried again. "K-Kakashi." He whispered, his throat scratchy and dry. The woman turned around, pouring water into a glass and holding it out to him. 

Kakashi knew better than to accept things from people. It always ended with him getting hit, or injured in some way. Once, he had even been poisoned. He curled up on himself, trying to escape from the offering. 

"It's okay, it's just water. We're not going to hurt you." The woman tried to convince him. He wanted to believe it, wanted to believe that these people weren't here to hurt him. After carefully pulling the mask past his lips with shaking hands, he reached out slowly, his weak hands not really being able to support the glass. The woman had anticipated this, and helped him guide the glass up to his dry lips. The water was so clean, and crisp. He hadn't had anything like it in months… and the woman took it away when he had only drank half the glass. 

"Sorry, Kakashi. But we have to take this slowly. You are severely malnourished, and we can't risk making you sick. We have to take it slow." The woman explained to him. "Do you remember who I am?" She asked him. He studied her face, trying to pull forth any memories he might have of her. There was something… he vaguely remembered her doing something with his eye. The one he had lost so very long ago. He reached up to touch the scar around his left eye, trying to think as he stared at his lap. 

"Yes, I'm the one that took care of you when you lost your eye. I know you are having trouble remembering… it's okay. My name is Tsunade." She supplied. 

The name certainly rang a bell. 

  
  


~

  
  


It was another hour of that before Kakashi could really remember anything. Tenzo had been woken up, and Tsunade was taking a closer look at the collars around their necks. Tenzo had a much easier time remembering things, and Kakashi was a slight bit jealous. More importantly, he was finally starting to understand that they were  _ home.  _ Konoha. 

Tenzo was on the same bed as him, watching silently as Tsunade worked on the uncomfortable piece of metal around their necks. "I'm starting to get it now. I'm going to have to let you regain chakra a small amount at a time." 

Kakashi nodded carefully, trying not to flinch as the woman continuously brushed the skin around his throat. 

Eventually, Kakashi felt the dull hum of chakra working its way through his system. It had been so long that Kakashi had forgotten what it felt like. He finally had his mask, his name, clothing, and his chakra. He was almost complete again.  _ Almost.  _

Kakashi had a feeling that the person Gai had brought out of that cage would never be the same as the one that had first entered it. 

The two boys were left to themselves for a while. They laid in a bed together, trying to relax in this seemingly new environment. Every hour, Tsunade would come in and give them water, vitamins, and medicine, and adjust their collars again. She healed some of the minor injuries each time, not wanting to pulse too much chakra through their system just yet. 

After the third hour, Tenzo and Kakashi were finally able to allow themselves to sleep in between visits. After the fifth, Tsunade was able to take the collar off. Kakashi felt so much lighter. His neck was cold, along with the rest of him. His body wasn't quite adjusting well. The older woman put another blanket on them, frowning at the horrific appearance of the skin that was under the collar. If his looked anything like Tenzo's, it was bad. The skin underneath that  _ wasn't  _ bruised and battered, was gray. 

Kakashi rubbed the skin on his own neck. Even with all the bruising and injuries, it felt  _ so good  _ to be able to touch that skin again. Tsunade looked happy to see the collars gone as well, and celebrated by allowing them each to eat a couple of slices of bread. It was delicious. Kakashi would never look at bread the same way again after eating nothing but plain rice for six months. 

This time, Tsunade let them sleep through the night. The bed was so insanely comfortable after sleeping on a concrete floor for so long. Tenzo was pressed up against him, and Kakashi was happy that the doctors allowed them to remain close. He didn't want anyone to touch him, that much was true. But that didn't apply to Tenzo. Tenzo was safe. Tenzo had been by his side through the whole ordeal.  _ Tenzo understood what he had gone through. _

They had been sleeping peacefully for hours, cuddled up with each other to stay warm and comfortable. When the door slammed open, both of them jumped out of their skin and jolted awake. The panicked squawk that spilled from Tenzo's lips was enough to send Kakashi back to that place. Back to the beginning, when they would still cry and shout whenever they were dragged away. The woman that had burst through the door was staring down at her clipboard. 

"Ah, I see we need a blood draw from you, Mr. Calloway." The woman spoke quickly. Kakashi couldn't answer. His body was no longer responsive as she stepped closer into his personal space. Panic. That was all he felt as this strange woman called him by a name that wasn't his. She reached out, attempting to grab his arm. 

_ No no no no. He couldn't go back. He wouldn't survive it a second time.  _ He ripped his arm away from her, shrinking back towards Tenzo, incoherent babbling falling from his lips as he tried to get his head on straight. He felt like an animal, trapped in an alleyway with nowhere to escape to. Tenzo was desperately clutching Kakashi's shirt, dragging him farther away from whoever was attempting to hurt him. 

The woman's hand suddenly stopped when Tsunade clasped a firm hand around the woman's wrist. "Outside.  _ Now. _ " She growled at the woman, and the look on the woman's face said that the grip on her wrist was close to bone shattering. Tsunade practically ripped the woman out of the room behind her. 

Even if they  _ had  _ been trying to speak quietly, Kakashi would have been able to hear them. He attempted to calm down, moving back to his side of the bed and pulling Tenzo with him. 

_ "Are you kidding me?! What the hell do you think you're doing?"  _ Tsunade roared in the hallway. 

"I was just trying to get some blood drawn!" The woman defended herself. 

"Those two were not scheduled for  _ anything  _ and you are  _ not  _ authorized to be in that room!" 

"I-I thought that was Mr. Calloway's room."

"If you had taken  _ ONE LOOK _ at this door before you walked in, you would have  _ known.  _ Do you even know how much  _ damage  _ you might have just caused?! You are  _ fired!  _ Get out of my hospital!" 

The door opened much slower this time, slow enough for Kakashi to notice the large amount of signs posted on the outside. 

_ Authorized personnel only _

_ Trauma victims: enter slowly _

_ No touching _

  
  


Kakashi's heart dropped down to his feet. That's what he was now… a trauma victim. He and Tenzo both. He looked over to the smaller boy, watching him eye the signs as well. 

Tsunade walked in, a solemn look on her face as she took in the sight of the cowering teenagers. 

"I'm sorry." She spoke softly. "Are you alright?" 

Kakashi suddenly felt ridiculous. Some woman had just gotten fired because of him… because he couldn't  _ handle  _ someone walking into his room? He looked over to Tenzo, who was still shaking slightly at his side. Was Tenzo overreacting too? 

_ No. He had every right to react that way after what he had been through.  _ Maybe Kakashi had that right too. It took a little longer than he would like to admit for him to remember that Tsunade had asked him a question. 

He made eye-contact with her, nodding slowly. 

She looked like maybe she wasn't sure how to make them feel better. After a moment of thought she smiled softly. "Why don't we get you something good to eat for breakfast? You can't eat  _ a lot,  _ but I can have someone pick you up whatever you'd like." 

Food was definitely something he wanted. Right on cue, his stomach rumbled loudly. He looked down to his kohai. "What would you like to eat?" 

Tenzo shrugged. "I'd eat anything at this point." 

Kakashi smiled slightly. "Maybe just some ramen then." He hadn't been much of a fan of ramen before, but now… it sounded like heaven. Kakashi honestly wasn't sure he would  _ ever  _ eat rice again. 


	3. Chapter 3

The ramen was the most amazing thing he could have imagined. The flavors practically had Kakashi moaning in satisfaction. Tsunade looked on happily, making sure not to pay any attention to Kakashi's bare face. 

"I was wondering if you two were feeling up to a couple visitors. It seems that Might Gai and the Shiranui boy haven't quit asking about you." Tsunade mentioned casually. Kakashi automatically thought about how awful he looked. They were being healed, but slowly. Their bodies were weak and battered and they had just barely gotten to the point that they could walk to the bathroom alone. 

Tsunade sensed his apprehension. "If it helps, I can heal most of what is on your necks." 

Kakashi looked to Tenzo, who hesitated before nodding. The older boy looked back to the medic. "That'd be okay I guess." 

After a while, Gai and Genma knocked on the door. None of the nurses knocked, so they knew it was them. Kakashi called them in, and watched as they slowly moved into the room. 

"Hey, Rival." Gai said softly. He had a smile on his face, but Kakashi could see the sadness in his eyes. How long would it be before someone stopped looking at him like that? 

Kakashi nodded to him, attempting a smile through his mask. Genma moved forward a little bit. "We haven't really met. I'm Genma." The man said, extending a slow hand out to Tenzo. The boy shrunk back a little into Kakashi's side, and if the other two thought their closeness was strange, they didn't mention it. 

"It's alright." Kakashi said quietly, nudging Tenzo a little in his side. Tenzo reached out a shaky hand, taking Genma's carefully. "I-I'm Tenzo." 

"Nice to meet you, man. How long have you known Kakashi for?" Genma asked with a smile. 

"Well… I was ten, the first time we met. So I guess six years." Tenzo answered quietly. It was nice to hear him talking. He hadn't done much of that. Genma smiled. "That's a little too long to be stuck with  _ this  _ one." He joked, gesturing to Kakashi. "Gai and I have known him for quite a long time as well." 

Genma shot a look back to Gai, and when he turned around, the shit-eating grin on his face made Kakashi worry. 

"You know, one time I saw Kakashi trip over his  _ own  _ feet and land face-first in a pile of mud? His hair was stuck to his forehead for two days!" Genma shared excitedly. 

Tenzo smiled, laughing a little. "Really, Senpai?" 

Kakashi rolled his eyes, but was happy to see Tenzo laughing. How long had it been since either of them had laughed?  _ Since they were walking along that dreadful road for their mission.  _

Kakashi decided it was his turn. "One time, Genma was trying to start a bonfire, and he lit his hat on fire. He was running around in circles like a psycho and I had to use a water jutsu to put him out." 

They all laughed, and Genma pulled his hat down a little, showing Tenzo the bald spot he still had from it. 

The group shared stories for a while, and Kakashi realized that this was exactly what they needed. They needed something to help them feel  _ human _ again. 

A long time later, once their company had left, Tsunade returned. Slowly, she sent green chakra through their systems. "I am worried about your chakra." She finally spoke. "The collars have had a strange effect on your systems. I'm not sure if it's something I can repair just yet. Tenzo, if you wouldn't mind, would you try to use your mokuton for me?" 

Tenzo frowned, but held up his hand. Kakashi assumed he was trying to grow a flower in his palm, something Kakashi had seen him do many times. Tenzo's frown deepened after a few moments, and he looked back up to Tsunade tearfully. She nodded. "Your chakra is running wild through your systems. It isn't following along the veins as it has your whole life. I will have you come in once a week for me to work on it… but I won't lie to you. I'm not sure how successful this will be." 

Kakashi's heart dropped. "You mean… we might not be able to use our chakra ever again?" Tsunade only nodded in response. 

"What about my eye?" Kakashi asked, struggling to keep his voice steady. 

Tsunade's face dropped. "I can't unseal your sharingan until your chakra pathways are running correctly. If I do, the eye may essentially explode." 

Tsunade left the room solemnly, giving the two time to themselves. It took about ten seconds for Tenzo to start sobbing, and Kakashi wasn't far behind. Who was he if he had no chakra? His sharingan was everything.  _ He was Kakashi of the sharingan.  _ He was  _ nothing  _ if he could no longer be a ninja, and he had a feeling Tenzo felt the same way. After all, Tenzo had no family, no friends… he didn't even have a  _ name.  _

The thought that he may never get to use Obito's eye again hit him harder than anything else. He was supposed to see the future with this eye… now suddenly he was grateful that Obito's eye hadn't seen all the things happening to him the last six months. He was  _ pathetic.  _ He had been violated, starved, and abused. Now, Kakashi didn't even have use of his own  _ chakra. _

  
  
  


~

  
  


The next few days passed in a depressing silence. They continued gaining a little weight, finally getting to the point where they could eat all three meals again, and Tsunade had healed almost all their wounds. The woman finally allowed them to leave the hospital. 

The two walked through town slowly, and it was horrible. They were wearing generic uniforms that the hospital supplied, and Kakashi couldn't have felt less deserving. They weren't ninja. Not unless by some miracle Tsunade's treatment worked. 

Walking through town was miserable itself. Even though they had each gained a few pounds again, they were obviously still sick. Anyone within twenty feet could see that, and the boys didn't even get to run on the rooftops to hide. They were still miserably pale, and the deep black circles under their eyes hadn't gone away yet. The uniforms they wore hung off them in places they shouldn't, and it was fairly obvious that they were practically skeletons underneath all the clothing. 

Unsurprisingly, everyone seemed to know. Villagers whispered as they walked by, murmuring amongst themselves and occasionally rudely pointing at the pair. Kakashi felt bad. If Tenzo had walked on his own, he wouldn't have received this attention. People wouldn't be avoiding walking near them, or talking mercilessly about their miserable capture. 

How much did people actually know? It was big news when the operation was shut down, and people had more information than Kakashi would have liked. If they were lucky, word wouldn't get out that they couldn't use chakra for a while. People were bound to suspect something when they noticed Kakashi's gray eyes. He had considered covering his left eye like he used to, but he was now accustomed to viewing the world with both. 

Eventually, they reached the point where Tenzo would turn left towards his apartment, and Kakashi would go right. They paused, standing awkwardly. They hadn't been apart in so long that Kakashi wasn't sure he could handle being alone. He ran a nervous hand through his hair, trying to find something to say to his kohai. 

"Would… you like to stay with me for a few days? Until we get back on our feet?" Kakashi asked sheepishly. 

"Yes." Tenzo answered immediately, sighing in relief. "Can we head to my apartment first so I can pick up some clothes?" 

"Of course." Kakashi said with a soft smile. 

At Tenzo's apartment, Kakashi could see the disappointment on his friend's face when his clothes fit even worse than the borrowed uniform. He wore them anyway, simply because they were  _ his clothes _ . Kakashi would do the same, without a doubt. Tenzo looked around for a spare bag, seeing as his regular one was probably still hidden in the brush along the road they had walked 6 months ago. He eventually found one, and packed a few things to take to Kakashi's. 

Back in the street, it was late enough in the morning that Kakashi was feeling nervous. The village was awake and moving about, and more people were looking at them as they made their way to his apartment. 

Kakashi felt the hair on the back of his neck stand as a familiar figure made his way through the crowd. Instinct had him shutting his left eye as Hisoki, the biggest dick in Konoha, headed their way. 

"Well, it's the walking dead!" The blonde haired asshole shouted. Hisoki had always hated Kakashi, was always jealous of him. When they were  _ much  _ younger, the boy used to bully him physically. But Kakashi grew stronger and faster, putting Hisoki to shame quickly. Now, he just used his  _ words _ to get under Kakashi's skin. 

"I heard you got your ass kicked, Hatake. Guess you're not as good as you thought!" The man stopped to look at Kakashi's clothes. "Boy, you look like shit!" 

Kakashi watched the wheels turning in Hisoki's mind, hoping that the man didn't decide to try to bully him in this state. Neither him nor Tenzo would be able to fend him off. "Go away, Hisoki." Kakashi said simply. 

The man finally noticed Tenzo, looking small and frail by Kakashi's side. 

"Who is this? Your  _ boyfriend?  _ I always knew you were a freak!" Hisoki hollered, drawing plenty of attention. He reached out quickly, using both hands to push Tenzo to the ground. 

"Hisoki! Don't fucking touch him!" Kakashi shouted, his voice half shrieking. The man just laughed at him as Kakashi stood between him and Tenzo. 

Tenzo was already breathing loud, sounding like he was close to hyperventilating as he tried to calm himself down on the ground. 

"What are you gonna do about it, Hatake?" 

Hisoki took a step forward, but paused, barely looking up in time to see Gai's foot crashing into his face from the rooftops. Genma, Asuma, and Kurenai landed right beside him as Hisoki's body rolled down the street. Gai didn't even stop to look at Kakashi before he was going after him. Genma moved to help Tenzo off the ground, but hesitated, unsure about touching the boy. Kakashi understood, and held out a hand for Tenzo to take. 

Kakashi could hardly handle Tenzo's weight, but Genma put one hand on his shoulder to assist, removing it as soon as Tenzo was off the ground. 

With Tenzo back up on his feet, Kakashi finally looked at Asuma and Kurenai. They hadn't seen him since his rescue, and now he felt especially embarrassed about his weakened body. 

"Kakashi, are you two alright?" Asuma asked quietly. Kakashi nodded, not trusting his voice as Tenzo moved to stand behind him. The boy half-hid behind Kakashi, wary of the new people. Kakashi turned towards him, putting one shaky arm out on Tenzo's shoulder. 

"I-it's okay, Tenzo. This is Asuma and Kurenai." Kakashi spoke softly, cursing his unsteady voice in his head. 

Genma put an arm around each of the other two jonin. "Yeah, these two are good people, Tenzo. They have the Genma seal of approval." He said with a cheesy smile. Kakashi was surprised when Tenzo smiled, apparently trusting them enough to step out from behind Kakashi. 

Kurenai looked at them curiously for a moment. "Hey Kakashi, if you'd like, I can fix your hair for you." 

Kakashi had almost forgotten about his awful haircut. His hair had been cut twice in his six month absence. Both times, Brutus had barged in to their cage, holding them down to the floor while his large friend hacked away at them with a kunai. He shuddered at the thought before remembering he was still standing here in front of his friends. He blushed, thankful for his mask that covered it. 

"Uh, that would be nice, thank you." He answered sheepishly. 

Gai returned to the group, sweaty and red in the face. Kakashi hadn't even noticed what Gai had been doing to Hisoki… but he hoped it was painful. 

"Are you heading to your place?" Kurenai asked. "I can cut your hair there." 

Kakashi thought about it for a moment, trying to decide if he really wanted to Invite them into his space, when he hadn't even been there yet himself. "Uh… sure. That'd be fine." He finally answered. 

The group traveled to Kakashi's apartment. Kurenai caught Kakashi up on all the latest gossip, while Asuma told the story of one of his recent missions. The trip didn't take too long, and thankfully less people stared at them when they were with the group. 

Once inside, Kakashi was able to relax a small amount. His apartment was dusty and smelled funny, but it was home. Asuma and Genma started opening windows to circulate fresh air in, while Kurenai started looking for scissors. 

"Tenzo, you can leave your stuff in the bedroom for now." Kakashi spoke quietly, noticing his friend just standing there awkwardly. 

"Is he going to be staying with you?" Gai asked quietly when Tenzo left. Kakashi nodded. 

"Ah. That's probably for the best. He seems comfortable with you." Gai replied. 

"That happens when you're trapped together for 6 months." Kakashi grumbled angrily. He paused, unsure why he was suddenly so angry. None of this was Gai's fault… he was just trying to help. Kakashi sighed. "Sorry, Gai. I shouldn't have snapped at you." 

"It's alright, Kakashi. I'm just glad you're home." Gai said with a smile. Tenzo walked in and sat down at the end of the couch. The guys went to sit with him in the living room, telling him all sorts of stories about themselves and about Kakashi. 

Kakashi himself sat on a chair in the middle of the kitchen floor. Kurenai moved up closer to him. "I'm going to cut the front first so you can see what I'm doing and get used to me, okay?" 

"Okay." Kakashi mumbled weakly, still nervous about having someone close to him. He tried really hard not to flinch as she started in on his hair. He was finally able to relax a little after a while, getting used to her presence and her gentle fingers moving through his hair. 

"Alright, all done. Much better." She said with a smile, brushing some loose hair from his shoulders. Kakashi stood on shaky legs, his nerves still getting to him. "Can I hug you? I missed seeing you around." She asked quietly. 

He paused, but eventually nodded, accepting the gentle hug she offered him. It felt kind of nice having contact like that without the fear of pain. 

When they returned to the front room, Kurenai walked over to the couch. "Would you like yours cut too, sweetie?" She asked Tenzo softly. 

He looked up at her, clearly unsure of what to say. 

"It's okay Tenzo. Trust me, you'll feel better afterwards." Kakashi reassured him, sitting on the arm of the couch and placing a hand on his shoulder. The boy nodded, slowly getting up to sit in the kitchen.

Watching Tenzo get his haircut was almost as relaxing as getting it cut himself. Kakashi wondered if Tenzo had ever had his cut by someone other than himself before all this. As Kurenai ran her fingers through his short brown hair, Tenzo closed his eyes. There was a point where Kakashi thought he might have even fallen asleep. 

When she was finished, Tenzo stood awkwardly and quietly thanked her. The woman swept him into a hug, something the boy definitely wasn't used to. He handled it well, better than Kakashi would have, and even smiled. 

Long after the group had left them to relax, Tenzo and Kakashi sat around watching movies. He was lucky his electricity bill came out of his account automatically. He had quite an extensive collection of movies, so the two of them bundled themselves up with blankets and tried to relax. 

Part of Kakashi knew that he should be thankful for friends, and that the company was important for them to adjust back into normal lives. The other part of Kakashi, however, was excessively thankful that they were gone, and that he and Tenzo could just be left alone for a while. 

It was strange now, being alone. No one from the hospital was going to be butting their way in any time soon, and nobody would be getting past Kakashi's door. Kakashi finally had time to think about the fact that he may  _ never  _ be able to use chakra again, that his eye may remain sealed for the rest of his life. What would he even  _ do _ with his life? Could he bring himself to take a job within the village? 

No. Kakashi couldn't do that. He had enough money to hide away in this apartment for the rest of his life if he wanted, but was that really  _ living _ ? Maybe he deserved this. Maybe this was finally karma catching up to him for all the lives he's taken in the name of Konoha. Or maybe it's a repayment for Rin, Obito, and Minato-sensei. 

Kakashi looked over to the frail brunette next to him. Those brown eyes were hooked to the movie, but they weren't  _ really _ watching. Maybe this is payment for not being able to protect Tenzo. Maybe this is what he gets for not staying strong, for not continuing to fight and paw against the collar and abuse. 

After the second movie, and both of them falling asleep at random times on the couch, Kakashi finally spoke. "Maa, let's just go to bed, Tenzo. We don't have anything to do until our appointment in three days anyway. Let's just rest." 

Tenzo nodded sleepily up to him, and made to settle on the couch after Kakashi stood. Kakashi froze, gazing down at the brunette. "You really think after all this that I'd be uncomfortable with you in my bed?" He spoke, raising an eyebrow at the younger man. "Come on. Let's go to bed." 

Tenzo gave a small smile and followed Kakashi down to his bedroom. 

The bed was the most comfortable thing Kakashi had experienced in a long time. The hospital bed had been super comfortable… but this? This was heaven, and with Tenzo tucked safely under the covers with him, both boys were sleeping soundly within minutes. 

  
  


~

  
  


Kakashi woke up with a jolt as someone knocked softly on his front door. Tenzo was startled awake and sitting up as Kakashi moved to answer it. He had slept fully clothed, mask and all. He found he was now more comfortable that way. When Kakashi opened the door, he found Gai on the other side. 

"Good afternoon, Rival. I was just checking in to see how you were doing?" Gai spoke softly. Kakashi arched a brow, confusion evident as he heard Tenzo's soft footsteps behind him. 

"Gai… you were just here a few hours ago." Kakashi spoke softly. 

Gai narrowed his eyes, concern crossing his features. "Kakashi… that was  _ yesterday _ ." 

Kakashi frowned.  _ Had they really slept for more than twenty hours? _ He turned to Tenzo, who still looked exhausted, but shrugged his shoulders. 

"Oh." Was all Kakashi managed to say at first. "I… guess we really needed the sleep." 

"Kakashi, you two really should eat something." Gai spoke sternly. "Would you like me to pick you up some takeout?" 

Kakashi probably shouldn't have been surprised by Gai's not-so-sudden generosity, but he was. "Uh… sure. That would be great, thank you." 

"Anything in particular you'd like me to pick up?" Gai asked with a bright smile. 

"Anything is fine really." Kakashi said with a shrug, but realized his mistake immediately. "No rice!" He spoke quickly, and perhaps with too much panic in his voice as his friend turned away to leave. Gai paused, clearly confused by the outburst, but nodded anyway before taking off down the road. 

Gai seriously overdid himself with the food. They would have enough leftovers for the next couple days. Kakashi sighed as he noticed all the dishes that would normally come with rice. Gai had made sure that not a single grain had made it into his offering, and Kakashi couldn't be more grateful. Tenzo seemed pleased too, and he quietly ate his fill. 

Thankfully, Gai didn't ask to stay, and the boys were able to promptly return to the bed for another twelve hours of sleep. 

It seemed that no matter how much sleep they had gotten, their exhausted bodies needed more. All they did was eat, and sleep. Small meals, just like Tsunade had ordered, but with the amazing food Gai had brought. Honestly, one of the weirdest things about it was using utensils again. Kakashi had just eaten with his hands for months. His fingers hardly felt stable enough to handle it most of the time, and he had given up on chopsticks early on. He ate everything with a spoon. It was the only thing he could manage at the moment, and it didn't take long for Tenzo to follow his lead. 

His body was still worn out when he woke up on the day of their appointment. He felt like he had probably gained a few pounds, but also that a light breeze could still push him over. 

Kakashi took a shower reluctantly, hating to be separated from Tenzo even for that amount of time. Once he was finished and dressed, he opened the bathroom door so Tenzo would know he was welcome. Kakashi set about brushing his teeth and dealing with his hair. His face was still very thin. He cringed looking at the dark circles under his eyes and his sunken features. He still looked so insanely unhealthy. 

Kakashi watched as Tenzo took the open door invitation and joined him at the sink. The younger boy looked just as exhausted as he did. How long would it be before they looked normal again? How long until they can start rebuilding all the muscle mass they had lost? Kakashi probably couldn't even run to the end of  _ the block  _ at this point. He was so weak... so useless. At this rate, it would probably be a year before they were ready to go back into the field. At minimum.

He sighed. They had both been staring in the mirror for five minutes. "Well… let's get this over with."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting chapters 3 and 4 at the same time! don't miss out on number 3!

Kakashi and Tenzo walked out into the cold morning air. This wasn't usually a temperature Kakashi would be shivering at… but honestly he had been freezing since they had left the cave. His body was thin and frail, and wasn't producing the heat that it should be. 

They trudged on, keeping their heads facing the ground to avoid any unnecessary attention. They took the path through the civilian district, still not quite ready to face any more of their comrades. 

"Oh look! It's the  _ faggots _ again." Hisoki's voice rang out. Kakashi's breathing faltered as he looked up in a panic. Hisoki was only a couple feet away from them, and he wasn't alone. He had three friends with him. People Kakashi only vaguely recognized as lower level ninja. Tenzo was close to his side, and the younger boy looked just as worried as he felt. 

"What's the matter,  _ Hatake? _ Don't have anything  _ smart _ to say?" Hisoki called out, taking a step forward. The man's left eye was ringed in black, no doubt a memento from his encounter with Gai earlier on in the week. 

Kakashi didn't know what to say. What  _ could  _ he say? They were seriously outnumbered here… not that they really  _ needed  _ that advantage with their current physical state. Finally, he decided that maybe being loud was the answer. If they drew a crowd, Hisoki might back off. 

"Go away, Hisoki! Leave us alone!" Kakashi shouted, his voice carrying well in the quiet morning air. 

Hisoki looked around, noticing immediately how loud Kakashi was being. He made one gesture to his friend, and the man smashed his forearm into Kakashi's chest, knocking him to the ground with an "oomph". Kakashi inhaled sharply as Hisoki pounced on him. 

His vision went black immediately, darkened to the familiar hue of his cage as Brutus continued punching him in the chest and ribs. "You're disgusting!" He yelled as Kakashi tried to block the man's strikes. The attempt was pathetic, and the large man laughed in his face. "Why won't you fight back?!" The man yelled, and Kakashi could hear Tenzo screaming somewhere in the blackness of the cave. Each breath was painful, his lungs burning and fighting him every step of the way as Brutus stared at him with murderous intent. "What the hell is  _ wrong  _ with you? Are you so pathetic you can't even  _ breathe? _ " 

Brutus grabbed ahold of his hair, ripping on it painfully and pulling Kakashi's head from the ground. Tenzo was still screaming, and through Kakashi's foggy brain he knew he needed to get to him. 

"Get off of him!" A woman yelled out, and Kakashi was suddenly back on the streets of Konoha. Hisoki jumped off of him, backing away from the older civilian woman who was yelling at him. Kakashi struggled to catch his breath, feeling the wetness of tears on his mask as he wiped his eyes. 

"Get out of here!" The angry civilian yelled, shaking a broom violently in her hand. Hisoki looked around, seeing all the civilians watching their little ambush, and teleported away with his friends. The woman leaned over him, extending a hand to help him up. 

Kakashi overreacted to the extended hand. "Please! Don't touch me!" He shouted, covering his face with his arms. 

"Okay. I won't." The woman said quietly, holding her hands up to show the young ninja she meant no harm. Her eyes spoke volumes, the knowing pity in them giving Kakashi the motivation he needed to get the hell out of here. He sat up slowly, looking around to see Tenzo standing nearby. His cheeks were soaked from tears, and his shirt was torn a little bit. 

Kakashi stood up, grimacing at the new pain in his body from the beating Hisoki had apparently given him. Tenzo was at his side in an instant, wrapping shaky fingers around Kakashi's forearm. "L-let's go, S-Senpai." Tenzo spoke quietly, and Kakashi let the younger boy lead him away. 

Kakashi was hardly aware of his surroundings as Tenzo led him slowly through the streets. They made it to the hospital, and Kakashi hardly remembered getting there. His entire torso  _ ached _ , and he wasn't sure that it was something he could hide from Tsunade's prying eyes. 

Tsunade was waiting for them, tapping her foot impatiently. "You're late." 

Tenzo let go of Kakashi's arm, and moved to stand in front of the angry woman. "Sorry, Lady Tsunade. We were a bit held up." 

Tsunade took a moment to look at Tenzo, undoubtedly seeing the tear streaks on his face and his dirty, torn up clothing. Her frown softened, and she turned to lead them back to the private rooms. "Alright, Tenzo in the first room, Kakashi in the second." She spoke easily, not catching the uneasy looks the young boys shared. After a long moment of hesitation, they separated, going into their respective rooms. 

Tsunade was filling out papers for a couple minutes, allowing Kakashi to sit in silence. He felt terrible. Tenzo was in the other room all alone, and it was all he could think about.

A shrill scream rang out from the other room, and Kakashi was on his feet in an instant. He raced out the door, Tsunade hot on his heels as he wrenched open the door to the other room. 

Tenzo was on the ground, gasping and sucking in air at an unnatural rate, his hand on his chest as he struggled to breathe. 

"Tenzo! Breathe in for eight seconds, then out for eight seconds." Tsunade bellowed into the room. Kakashi was on the floor next to him, holding the boy's arm. He mimed the requested action, catching Tenzo's attention and encouraging him to breathe along with him. 

After what seemed like a long time, Tenzo managed to calm down. He was shaking, exhausted, and his clothes were soaked through with sweat. The younger boy reached out, and Kakashi pulled him in for a hug. 

"What the  _ hell  _ happened, Shizune?" Tsunade said angrily to her nervous assistant. 

"I… I just went to draw blood like you asked. He was fine! He knew I was going to, but he had an attack anyway." Shizune explained quickly. Tsunade huffed angrily, biting her thumb and staring down at the two boys huddled on the floor. 

She sighed. " _ Fine _ . We'll do your examinations together. I don't want to hear any complaints about it, either!"

Once they were all settled back in Kakashi's exam room, Tsunade questioned them. "I'm just going to make these 'yes' or 'no' questions, and you can just shake your heads to answer. Understood?" Both boys nodded. 

"Alright. Any trouble breathing? Besides any panic attacks? Trouble sleeping? Trouble urinating?" The woman asked her questions quickly, marking them down in between answers. "Any trouble eating? Vomiting? Diarrhea?" After that, she set the notebook down, and grabbed her stethoscope. "I need to listen to your heart. Are you ready?" Tsunade asked cautiously. Tenzo wound his fingers through Kakashi's hand, and both boys nodded again. 

Tsunade listened to their hearts, a frown on her face as she concentrated. She finished and put the item away. "Alright. Now, both of you reach your arms over your head." The boys complied, but Kakashi couldn't hide the wince as pain shot through his ribcage. 

"You're injured." The blonde said flatly. "What happened?" 

A light knock on the door spared Kakashi from answering the question. Tsunade moved to the door briskly, opening it to see Shizune. "Lady Tsunade, Shikaku Nara is here. He wants to ask the boys about an incident this morning."

Tsunade hummed, narrowing her eyes back at the nervous teenagers before nodding to her assistant. Shizune showed the man in, then left immediately. Shikaku Nara was a tall, ragged looking man, who wore his trademark Nara hair back in a ponytail. Kakashi had never spoken to him before, but knew that he often acted as the Hokage's advisor. Tsunade stood to the side and gave the man a curt nod. Kakashi felt Tenzo's hand nudging his again, and he accepted it willingly, an action that didn't go unnoticed by the man. 

"Boys, I just have a few questions about this and then I'll go. A civilian woman reported a disturbance this morning. She claimed that four boys attacked two others in the middle of the street in the civilian district. You two have been identified as the ones attacked, but she did not know who the others were. Can you tell me their names?" Shikaku spoke quick and direct, never removing his calculating gaze off of the two malnourished boys. 

"H-Hisoki." Tenzo said, his voice still a bit raw from the ambush this morning and the panic attack earlier. 

"Katsuna, Jirodo, and Mizuki." Kakashi answered quietly. Tsunade listened intently, her brows furrowed. 

The Nara nodded. "Can you tell me what happened?" 

"Hisoki and his friends jumped us in the street. He had Jirodo knock me to the ground, and he j-jumped on me and was hitting me." Kakashi spoke softly. 

"T-the white-haired one kicked my legs out from under me and kept kicking me on the ground. The other one… he held my h-hands down." Tenzo answered. Kakashi certainly understood why Tenzo had been screaming. 

The man stood silent for a moment, looking over them with sadness and pity in his eyes… just like everyone else. "Why did they target you?" 

Kakashi sighed, and Tenzo gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Hisoki ran into us when we first left the hospital. He's always hated me. He called us f-freaks and shoved Tenzo to the ground. Gai fought him off. Left him with a nasty black eye. I guess he wasn't too happy about that."

"Do they have any injuries?" Shikaku asked Tsunade, and she turned to him with anger on her face. "They'd  _ better not _ . How can you claim to be keeping watch over the village when  _ injured teenagers  _ are getting attacked in the street?  _ More than once! _ " She growled as she moved to stand in front of them again. She held a palm out, flashing green chakra, and waited for Tenzo to nod before checking him. 

"He has a couple bruised ribs. Two others were  _ very  _ close to breaking." She spoke venomously, and the man wisely said nothing. 

Tsunade moved to Kakashi, who squeezed Tenzo's hand while he was being checked. "This one  _ does  _ have a fractured rib." She said angrily, turning back to Shikaku. "I would certainly  _ hope _ that they won't be getting away with this!" 

"They will be going in front of the Hokage in the next hour, don't worry." Shikaku said. "Thank you, boys. That will be all." 

Once the man had left, Tsunade started healing their new injuries, muttering the whole time about stupid bullies and terrible street protection. "Alright. All better. Let's get back to business. I need to get your weight."

Kakashi and Tenzo took their turns standing on the scale, knowing it wasn't good. "Alright… Tenzo is 85 pounds, and Kakashi is 90. Both of you have gained five pounds this week! That's good progress." Tsunade said with a smile. Kakashi slumped down in his spot on the exam table. He had been an extremely fit 140 pounds before this mission… and he knew Tenzo was close to that as well. 

Tsunade spent a little time working on each of them, trying to make some form of progress on their chakra pathways. She sighed when she was done, the disappointment obvious on her face. "Tenzo… yours have improved a  _ very  _ small amount. I have a feeling that the mokuton is attempting to heal you. Kakashi… yours haven't improved at all. But don't give up yet! I believe that as you both become healthy again, it will be easier to work with." She said, fixing her face with a smile that Kakashi didn't believe was real as she made some notes on her clipboard. 

"Alright. Now for the bad stuff. I need to assign you therapy. Both mental and physical. It's becoming  _ increasingly  _ clear that you need it. Now, you can choose to go to someone specializing in those things, or we can incorporate that into our meetings. It's up to you. I'm willing to help if you want." Tsunade said with a sigh. "Take some time to decide, and let me know what you've decided at our next appointment. For now, I have some supplements and vitamins for you." 

Right on cue, Shizune entered the room with two weekly pill organizers in hand. "Since you'll be coming in weekly, we've decided it would be easier to send you with the pills already portioned out." She said with a smile, handing one to each boy. 

Kakashi examined the case, opening the one that said "monday" on it with the sun picture. His eyes widened at the amount of pills they would be taking. Upon looking at the night side, there were a few less… but still at least ten pills. 

"Don't mix them up." Tsunade spoke softly, holding out a glass of water for each of them. "Take monday morning's pills now. Most of these are your typical supplements and vitamins, but there are also one or two antibiotics in there. Your bodies are weak, and need all the help they can get to fight off infection. On the night side, I've also added a sleeping pill to make sure you continue to get enough sleep. Once you've seen whoever will be dealing with your minds, we can add anything they may prescribe to this as well." 

Kakashi and Tenzo swallowed down the ridiculous amount of pills, neither of them responding to the woman as she continued giving them instructions on their eating and drinking habits. 

~

When their appointment was  _ finally  _ over, and the boys had awkwardly asked for a bag to hide their pill boxes, Tsunade allowed them to leave. The trip home was silent. Kakashi was lost in his thoughts, wondering if he should have told the woman about his hallucination, and mourning for his chakra that was apparently refusing to cooperate. Tenzo's had improved… even if it was just a small amount, it still  _ improved.  _ Kakashi's had done nothing but betray him. 

The older teen felt completely worthless. If their attack this morning hadn't shown him how pathetic he was… their appointment solidified the notion. 90 pounds? He was  _ 50 pounds _ below his average weight. Kakashi hadn't even known he was capable of  _ losing _ that much weight. He missed his muscles. He missed his reaction times and his speed. More than anything, he missed his  _ chakra.  _

Once they were home, Kakashi went to sit on the floor in the bathroom. He felt miserable... like he wasn't even in his own body anymore. He pulled his knees up to his chest and dropped his head back against the wall. Why the hell was he even  _ bothering  _ with all of this? He was never going to get his chakra back, never going to be the ninja he once was… the  _ captain  _ he once was. Even  _ if  _ Kakashi got his chakra back… would he be able to return to the person he once was? 

Kakashi reached down into his equipment pack, still strapped to his leg even though he had been absolutely useless in a fight, pulling out one of his kunai. He held the blade in his fingers experimentally, slicing invisible enemies as he tested the weight. His arms shook with the weight of the blade, and the motions only served to send Kakashi lower in his thoughts. 

He fiddled with the cold metal, twirling the knife between his fingers. Kakashi held out an arm, pressing the blade against his wrist. It would be so easy to press down harder, to cut through all of his thin skin and into the veins beneath. His body was weak, he would die quickly. 

The cold blade raised goosebumps on his skin, and Kakashi released a shaky breath. His thoughts drifted to Tenzo. The boy was probably sitting out on the couch, waiting for his senpai to return. 

_ If he did it, Tenzo would be the one to find him on the floor. _ Could he do that to Tenzo? Even if the boy wasn't physically in the apartment, it would still hurt him. He would be left to recover from this all by himself. Kakashi couldn't do that. Not to  _ him _ . Not to the boy who had stood by his side through the worst moments of his life and held out a hand. 

Kakashi pulled the kunai away from his wrist, shoving the blade back into his bag. He paused, suddenly catching view of Tenzo's feet in the doorway. How long had he been there?

Kakashi looked up. Tenzo's face was pale, and his arms were hanging loose by his side. Kakashi sighed. He had definitely seen more than Kakashi had hoped. 

"Don't. Don't  _ ever _ do that." Tenzo whispered, his brown eyes pooling with unshed tears. 

"I-I won't, Tenzo. I promise." Kakashi answered, his voice trembling. He stood on shaky legs, moving to the doorway to pull Tenzo into a hug. His head dropped into the brown hair, and tears leaked from his eyes. "I'm sorry." He choked out, squeezing the younger boy with all the strength he could muster. 

"We're gonna get better, Senpai. We'll get better together." Tenzo mumbled, fisting his hands in Kakashi's shirt. 

Tenzo's shoulders started to shake as he sobbed into Kakashi's shirt. The jounin's heart sank.  _ He did this to Tenzo.  _

~

Tenzo wouldn't let Kakashi out of his sight after that, and the older boy understood completely. He was scared that Kakashi would hurt himself and leave him behind. Maybe Kakashi was a little scared too. Why the hell did he  _ do  _ that? Did he  _ really _ want to die? 

Tenzo followed him around all day, almost always having at least one hand on him at any given time. The only time Kakashi had any privacy was in the shower, and even then, the older boy had decided to keep the door open. It was for Tenzo's sake, but also for his own. He no longer trusted himself. 

So when Tenzo still had a grip on Kakashi's shirt as he opened the front door, he didn't care. Genma didn't mention it either, as Kakashi asked him if he wanted to come inside. The older jounin accepted the invitation, moving inside to sit on the couch. He seemed uncomfortable, as if what he wanted to say wasn't anything good. 

"What is it?" Kakashi said uncomfortably, fiddling with his hands as he stood across from him. Genma noticed his worry, and immediately adjusted his attitude. "I didn't mean to worry you. Uh… we heard what happened. With Hisoki?" 

Kakashi waited for the man to apologize for not being there to help. A useless gesture, and one that made Kakashi feel even worse than he already did. Like he  _ needed  _ to be protected. 

The apology didn't come, and it was a bit refreshing. 

"I'm here to tell you that the problem has been dealt with. Hisoki and his crew have all been busted all the way back down to genin, and placed on probation for a year. If they fail their probation, they will spend time in jail." Genma explained slowly. 

"That seems…  _ extreme. _ " Kakashi mused, while Tenzo stood silently next to him. 

"The Hokage is taking this very seriously. An attack on a comrade is not something  _ any  _ of us take lightly, and Hisoki has officially done that twice in one week. We were asked to come in and speak of the first incident, and I was allowed to stay for the civilian recount of the second one. Lady Tsunade was present for both, and I know she was a driving force in the harsh penalty." Genma explained. Kakashi cringed internally. If Genma was there for the second account, that means he heard how pathetic they had been. How Kakashi of the Sharingan had frozen up, allowed a comrade to jump on him and keep punching him, had panicked when a woman tried to help him. He had undoubtedly heard about Tenzo getting knocked down, and screaming on the ground. 

And Tsunade… she had the whole story now. He felt Tenzo reaching out to his arm, trying to ground himself to avoid another episode. Kakashi moved his arm closer, a subtle move that gave Tenzo the permission he needed to resume the contact he had become used to the last couple days. Tenzo's cold fingers latched around his forearm, and he didn't react. Tenzo was safe. Tenzo would never hurt him. 

Genma didn't stay long, excusing himself very soon after his explanation. 

They weren't alone for long. Another knock on the door and Kakashi didn't hold back the groan. He opened the door and was shocked to see Tsunade standing there, Shizune hovering behind her. 

"L-Lady Tsunade." Kakashi said, struggling to hide the surprise in his voice. 

"Kakashi. May I come inside?" Tsunade asked, a certain tenderness to her voice that Kakashi didn't remember from before. He moved to the side, silently allowing her access as she moved past the teenagers into the apartment. 

The two women sat down on the couch, and the two boys just stood there for a moment. Kakashi shook his head. He was a host, wasn't he? He was supposed to be welcoming and pleasant when people entered his home. 

"Would you uh… like some c-coffee?" Kakashi asked. It was awkward.  _ So very awkward.  _ Luckily, Tsunade didn't seem to care. "No, thank you. I wanted to speak with both of you about the therapy I have assigned." 

It took longer than Kakashi had hoped for him to respond. Why was he so slow today? 

"Oh. Okay." He said quietly, choosing to forgo the typical host behavior and sitting right on the floor across from the couch. Tenzo joined him, keeping one hand firmly attached to his shirt. Tsunade very obviously saw the contact, but once again chose to say nothing. 

"I've made a change in my decision. I'm not going to offer to do your mental evaluation. I have chosen someone specifically for you two. Someone who has experience in trauma. He's not technically certified, but I trust him. He has a way with people. I'd like to think I know you well enough to know that you aren't going to say much. That's the good thing about it. He's capable of reading between the lines and he's very intuitive." Tsunade explained. She sighed, seeming a bit unsure of herself. "He's young. But I assure you, he's good. And the added bonus is that he can do both of your therapies together. He doesn't agree to help often, but he has agreed to help you two specifically." 

"Who is it?" Kakashi asked curiously. Someone so young that Tsunade trusted with brain issues? It pretty much  _ had  _ to be a Yamanaka, which meant all sorts of digging into his psyche that he just wasn't ready for. 

"I think it's best you see for yourself. Given what I heard yesterday in the Hokage's office, I'd like you to meet with him today. In an hour." Tsunade said sternly. "This isn't really optional, but I'm really hoping you can make this work. I need you to trust that I know what I'm doing, okay?" Tsunade replied softly. Kakashi paled a bit. He wasn't exactly excited for this in the first place, but now he had to go  _ in an hour? _ She must've  _ really  _ not liked what she heard. Kakashi tried to remain calm, and he felt Tenzo's hand move from his shirt to the hand he had resting on his leg. He intertwined their fingers instinctually, knowing Tenzo was probably just as freaked out as he was. 

"Where do we go?" Kakashi asked quietly. 

Tsunade looked to Shizune, who was already scribbling a note on her notepad. She ripped the page out, holding it out for Kakashi to take. All that was on it was an address, and Kakashi was happy to note that it was nowhere near the Intel division or the Yamanaka clan grounds.

Kakashi nodded slowly. "Okay. We'll go." 

"Thank you." Tsunade replied, before excusing herself and Shizune to leave. 


	5. Chapter 5

Kakashi and Tenzo walked up to the building. It was a regular apartment complex, deep in the middle of the city. They walked up the stairs on the outside of the building, finding the room number they were looking for.  _ 4c _ . Kakashi checked the paper one last time, double-checking that the address was correct. Kakashi knocked timidly, and immediately heard the call of someone from inside. "Come in!" 

Kakashi met Tenzo's gaze, then turned the knob. It felt weird to be walking into someone else's apartment when they didn't even know who to expect. Kakashi peeked around the door. "Hello?" 

"Come on in! I won't bite." The man's voice rang out. Kakashi walked in, Tenzo right behind him. The man was over in his kitchen, fiddling around with what Kakashi assumed was coffee. Even with his back turned, Kakashi could tell he wasn't a Yamanaka. The wavy black hair was enough to prove  _ that _ . The man turned around, and Kakashi's breath caught a bit. He was… an  _ Uchiha? _ He was missing an eye, with an eyepatch over the right side of his face. That meant only one thing. This was Shisui Uchiha. He had stopped the rebellion, escaped Danzo's clutches, lost an eye, and had gotten kicked out of his clan all in the same week. He smiled at the two guests, holding out two cups of coffee. "Thirsty?" He said politely, and they each took a cup from him. Kakashi didn't know what to say. He had heard the Uchiha was still hanging around Konoha, but hadn't ever seen him. 

"So, I gather by how pale and silent you are, you know who I am." Shisui spoke calmly. 

Kakashi nodded slowly. "Y-yes." 

Shisui tilted his head, studying the two carefully. Just looking at him, he could see that the man was amazingly perceptive, and could understand why Tsunade would send them to him. There was another part of him though, that knew this kid was a year younger than him. An 18 year old was going to heal his brain?

"Do you want to sit down?" Shisui asked, motioning towards the couch. There was a single chair sitting across from it, and Shisui was already sitting in it by the time Kakashi moved. The man was still insanely fast, and Kakashi wondered why he never wanted to continue being a ninja. 

"So Tsunade thinks that you two need to have more visits with me than she originally thought. Just looking at you, I'd have to agree." Shisui started, sitting very comfortably in his chair. 

"How often are we supposed to show up?" Kakashi asked, slightly frustrated. 

"I'd say two or three times a week." He answered easily. Kakashi looked to Tenzo, who didn't seem to be reacting to the information at all. Kakashi grabbed his hand. Tenzo squeezed lightly back, but still didn't move. 

"He's in a genjutsu." Shisui answered carefully. "It's how I plan to speak with you separately, but together. You are in one too." 

Kakashi frowned. He wasn't comfortable being placed under genjutsu without his knowledge. 

"I know it's not the most  _ comfortable  _ thought, but it really is the best way. This way you can sit together, know the other is still safe, but know that anything you say will not be heard by the other." Shisui explained, taking a sip of his coffee. "Also, you should know that I absolutely  _ will not  _ be digging through your brain unless I get your permission. Though so far I have no plans to ask." Kakashi had to admit, the man was certainly skilled. His sharingan was leagues above Kakashi's own. 

"Why did you offer to help us?" Kakashi asked curiously. 

Shisui looked to the side, thinking about his answer. "I find your relationship with Tenzo curious." 

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "Well, we can't exactly help what happened to us." 

Shisui raised a hand. "No, no. I meant  _ before _ that. He was assigned to steal your eye, correct?" 

Kakashi automatically raised a hand up to Obito's eye.  _ Shisui's cousin's  _ eye. Danzo had tried to rip it out of his head… just like he had done to Shisui. He looked up to the man's eyepatch, a new appreciation for what the younger boy had gone through. "Yes… he was. But he didn't do it." 

"I know. Another reason I decided to help  _ you  _ specifically, Hatake Kakashi, is that eye you have hidden in that seal. Obito's eye. He wouldn't have given it to you if he didn't see something inside of you worth something." Shisui explained. 

"Yeah, well I might not even be able to use it ever again." Kakashi mumbled quietly. 

"So I've heard. I don't believe that for a second." 

"You don't?" Kakashi asked with confusion. 

"No." Shisui answered simply. "Now, why don't we start by talking about what's happened  _ after  _ you were brought home." 

Kakashi was surprised. Shisui wasn't going to make him recount the horrific things that happened in the darkness of their cage, and in the round auction rooms. At least not yet.

He talked about Hisoki's original attack, giving vague details. And yet, Shisui was still able to deduce exactly what happened. Then, he got to the second attack. 

"So, you couldn't fight back?" Shisui asked, and Kakashi knew immediately that the man had guessed there was something wrong there. 

"No." Kakashi answered shamefully. 

Shisui sighed. "The first time someone tried to heal my face after my attack, I stabbed them in the gut with a kunai. All I could see was Danzo, reaching out for me. Luckily, Itachi was there. He restrained me, and gave the medic enough time to heal himself while I calmed down. Did you see something when Hisoki jumped on you?" 

Kakashi nodded slowly. 

"Don't worry. I don't need you to tell me about that for now. Baby steps." Shisui said with a smile. "So… I feel like there is something else you aren't telling me. Tenzo is seriously afraid for you, and I'm wondering why that is." 

Kakashi's face flushed red. He had already been forced to admit to the hallucination, was he really going to tell the guy about the bathroom incident? He looked over to Tenzo, still absent mindedly in his own little world. Kakashi gave the hand a squeeze, and the hand squeezed him back. "Is that really Tenzo doing that?" 

Shisui nodded, still waiting patiently for Kakashi to work his way to an answer. 

"There… was an incident." Kakashi started slowly. "Tenzo saw me… in a moment of weakness I guess. I'm not really sure what the hell I was even doing. I… I had a kunai out in the bathroom. I was just h-holding it on my wrist." 

Shisui nodded slowly. "That explains it. I can see that you aren't feeling too positive about yourself at the moment, and I just want you to know that those feelings won't last forever. In the meantime, try to make sure you make no permanent decisions for a temporary problem." 

"I just… I feel so  _ useless _ ." Kakashi admitted, unsure as to why he even felt like telling the Uchiha all of this. 

"I know. But you have to understand that this could've happened to  _ anyone.  _ This  _ isn't  _ permanent. It's just the major downside to being a human being. And honestly, you aren't useless. You are clearly having a positive effect on Tenzo. The kid needs you." Shisui added with a smile. Kakashi suddenly became aware that the room changed. Just barely, but it was still a change. Shisui's positioning was slightly different, and Tenzo was now moving around a little bit. 

"Is the genjutsu over?" Tenzo asked quietly, and Shisui nodded. He pulled out a legal pad, scribbling down a few things before handing the paper to Kakashi. "Tsunade would like to see you immediately, please give her this." 

Kakashi took the paper, seeing two columns, one with his name and one with Tenzo's. The other things scribbled underneath were medications. Tenzo's name had two under it… and Kakashi had three. He swallowed nervously. 

"Having more than one medication doesn't mean you are nuts. I just feel like you need more specialized medications. Now, you two are welcome to come over here any time you wish. I'm home more often than not. Otherwise, I think you should stop back in the day after tomorrow. Same time." 

~

They were back home in no time. Tsunade had given them the medications that Shisui had suggested, apparently agreeing with the man's evaluation of them. They were given clear instructions to follow when they got home. Add the medications into their weekly pill boxes, and remove the red and green antibiotic. They completed the task. Tsunade had given them the morning's dose at the hospital, and Kakashi was already feeling dead-tired. They had been warned that the antidepressants might make them drowsy… but  _ damn.  _

Kakashi barely made it to his bed before he passed out, closing his eyes as Tenzo was setting a secondary alarm to take their night-time medicine. 

The alarm woke him. They had slept through the entire day, if Tenzo's warm body next to him said anything. He sat up slowly, groaning softly as he went to shut the alarm off. Tenzo watched him quietly, tucked into Kakashi's side like they had slept so many times before. Kakashi grabbed their pill boxes, handing Tenzo his absently. They had glasses of water on the table for this exact moment. 

Kakashi could feel the moment the sedative hit him, though he felt he didn't really need it with the antidepressants making him so exhausted.

The next couple of days went by in a blur of sleeping and eating. Before he knew it, they were walking back to Shisui's. 

The man greeted them at the door this time, his bright smile suddenly reminding Kakashi of Obito. It was a little unsettling. 

"So, how's the new medication treating you?" Shisui asked casually. 

"Fine, I guess. It makes us sleep all day pretty much." Kakashi said as he sat next to Tenzo on the couch. The younger boy was already silent, and Kakashi wondered how the hell Shisui managed to get them under genjutsu so seamlessly. He reached out and held Tenzo's hand, squeezing for just that small bit of reassurance. Of course, Tenzo squeezed back, though he wasn't sure how the hell Shisui managed  _ that  _ either. 

"It's a specialized form of genjutsu that I've created by myself. It's rather complicated, honestly." Shisui explained. 

"Does it drain your chakra?" Kakashi asked curiously. 

Shisui huffed a soft laugh, and shook his head. "It comes naturally to me. Though if  _ you  _ were to try it… you might go straight to chakra exhaustion." 

"Right. I forgot." Kakashi mumbled. He often had to remind himself that a natural born Uchiha wouldn't feel the same drain he did. 

Shisui smiled at him. "Today, I think let's start  _ way  _ back at the beginning. Back when you were originally assigned the mission. Use as much detail as you want, and stop whenever you feel you should." 

Kakashi looked over to Tenzo. "Is he doing the same thing?" 

Shisui watched him quietly. The man had no tells, but Kakashi was fairly certain he was deciding what he wanted to tell him. "Yes." Was all he answered. 

Kakashi nodded, and decided to do what he was told. "Lord Third called us in. He explained to us that it was a civilian-run kidnapping ring who were taking younger people. I was over the age group they were taking… but he told me I looked younger without the mask." Kakashi started. Shisui just watched him quietly. "It took only one day for them to find us. We knew they were there immediately. Someone hit us in the back of the head with something heavy, kicked my knees out from the back, injected us with something, and then… and then they put the c-collars on us. They already knew we were ninjas. It was all useless right from the beginning." Kakashi felt his bones starting to shake. He hadn't told this story to  _ anyone  _ yet. It felt a little strange that the first time was to Shisui instead of the Hokage. He hadn't even  _ thought  _ about the fact that they weren't even asked to write a mission report. 

Shisui hadn't said a word. He hadn't looked confused about the collars or the mission or anything. "You've read the report." Kakashi mused quietly. "So you… you know about the collars." 

Shisui nodded. "I've seen them myself, actually. Ghastly metal devices with chakra seals and a barbaric handle on the back. Whoever designed them is certainly a fucked up individual." 

Kakashi shook a little. No one had talked to him about any of it. No one asked him questions, or even commented on it. It all felt… strangely  _ normal _ for Shisui to say such things. Like they were having a conversation about the mission instead of judging him for the trauma he went through. 

Kakashi nodded. "The man… he s-said that with the scar on my eye, they could give me a red contact and pretend I was 'that one ninja from the leaf'." 

Shisui raised his eyebrows, but didn't say anything, so Kakashi continued. "They… they said I was…  _ p-pretty _ ." Kakashi admitted. He felt himself go a little green just saying it. 

"Do you need some water? Or coffee?" Shisui asked softly. Kakashi shook his head and breathed deeply, trying to calm his suddenly upset stomach. It worked, and he attempted to continue. "And that they would get a lot of money for me. They put b-bags over our heads and started walking. I could hardly feel my legs anymore. It's like whatever they stuck us with sapped all of our energy away. I couldn't hardly keep my legs under me. They were dragging me half the time. I don't even know how far away from the road their facility was."

"What they injected you with was essentially poison. It served as another means of making sure your chakra wouldn't build, and keeping you weak enough to keep you from fighting back. It's a special breed of poison, a rare one. It sits in your system until it is removed. It can stay there for  _ years  _ if not properly taken care of." Shisui explained softly. It was nice to have answers. No one had told him a damn thing. He had absolutely no control here. No information and nothing to ground himself to the fact that this was a  _ mission _ . 

"Their facility was about 10 miles away from the main road. It had two stories above ground that served as a cover, while the underground levels remained hidden. Thanks to Gai's efforts, along with Genma Shiranui, Tsume Inuzuka, and the rest of your Anbu team, they rescued 30 survivors. You two were the only ones left alive that had been there for more than four months. You were the only ninjas there. It's a wonder they had the supplies to keep you there. You were secluded in your own cave, away from what essentially amounted to kennels on the rest of the floor and the upper level. The first level underground appeared to be where the business end of things happened." Shisui explained. Kakashi listened intently. This was all information that he had felt like he wasn't allowed to have… that no one would ever be willing to talk about. 

Shisui probably understood all of it. Understood that when he woke up covered in blood and missing an eye, that all he had wanted was to know what had happened. The Uchiha had likely wanted to speak of it like it was a mission... not that he had been brutally attacked, poisoned, and betrayed by a village elder. 

Kakashi  _ needed  _ this information. Needed this small semblance of  _ control  _ in his life that had been spinning away from him rapidly. He knew that if he wanted more answers, he should keep talking. 

"They took us down into the cage, and ignored us for three days. You know about the cage?" Kakashi asked quietly. 

Shisui nodded. "I've seen the pictures." 

"There are pictures?" Kakashi asked nervously. "Can I… can I see them?" 

Shisui thought for a moment. "I can speak with the Hokage and Lady Tsunade, and see what I can do. I don't see why they shouldn't let you see them. It was  _ your  _ mission, after all." 

Kakashi nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He said with a smile. 

Kakashi continued. "They fed us from dog bowls after the third day. It was just a small serving of plain rice. Once a day. The man that fed us… he was terrible. I named him in my head… but I don't know who he really was." 

"What did you call him?" Shisui asked curiously. 

"B-Brutus." Kakashi said shakily. "That's who I saw when Hisoki was hitting me. I saw Brutus on me. I was back in the cave."

"Seems to be a fitting name." Shisui mused. 

Kakashi nodded, still a bit nervous just  _ thinking  _ about the large gate-keeper, as if the mere thought of him would make the behemoth of a man appear from thin air. Kakashi swallowed nervously, and it sounded excessively loud in the silent room. 

"Why don't you tell me a little bit about Brutus. A description?" Shisui prodded. From what he had seen, Shisui never asked him to do things like this without reason. He would try to comply…  _ why  _ he trusted the kid, he had no idea. 

"Brutus… he was a huge man.  _ Huge.  _ He had brown hair and dark evil eyes. The man was strong. He was always dragging me around by my collar. He… he always told us how d-disgusting we were." Kakashi rambled, trying his best to talk about the violent man he still saw every time he closed his eyes. 

"He was the one who would come get me. For the auctions." Kakashi mumbled quietly. 

Shisui nodded. "Did he have a tattoo on his hand? His  _ left  _ hand, I believe?"

Kakashi thought back carefully, thinking of the hundreds of times those large hands reached for him. "Y-yes. It was a symbol or something." 

"Well, I think it may help you to know that I've seen pictures of this man. He was killed in the rescue operation. I think your team killed him on the first underground level." Shisui explained slowly. 

Suddenly it felt difficult to breathe. Brutus was dead? He would never be able to hurt them again? Kakashi felt tears sting at his eyes, relief practically pouring out of him in waves at the thought that the man was dead. He wished him dead much more than any of the people who had touched him. More than any of the people who had kidnapped him in the first place. Him and his equally large friend. 

"Was… was there another man? He was large, dirty blond hair, and a terrible goatee?" Kakashi asked sheepishly. 

Shisui thought for a moment, then nodded. "Also dead." 

Kakashi wasn't prepared for the sob that escaped his lips. He squeezed Tenzo's hand tightly, and the shaking hand squeezed right back. Kakashi wanted to hug him, to tell him it was alright and those two were  _ never  _ coming back for them again. 

"Man. They really didn't tell you  _ anything _ , did they?" Shisui spoke calmly, an emotion in his eyes that was much different than what everyone else had been showing him. He seemed angry. Angry for  _ them _ . 

"No. I didn't even know I was  _ poisoned. _ " Kakashi spoke softly, his voice a bit ragged from all of the emotions coursing through him. 

"I'm going to break the genjutsu now, alright?" Shisui asked. 

He had never asked before, so Kakashi assumed it was because he was crying and Tenzo would see it. He huffed a laugh. "Tenzo has seen me do far worse than  _ cry _ . Trust me on that." 

Shisui nodded, and the genjutsu was broken. Tenzo saw that he was crying immediately, and pulled him in for a hug. Kakashi went willingly, closing his eyes and allowing the younger boy's warmth to comfort him. 

"I'm going to make sure you see those pictures. In fact, I think I'll get the report on the entire rescue mission." Shisui spoke with conviction. 

"I doubt Tsunade wants us to see that." Kakashi mumbled into Tenzo's shirt. 

Shisui huffed a laugh of his own. "I think you'll find I can be  _ very  _ convincing when I set my mind to something." 

"You don't mean…" Kakashi started, but Shisui just chuckled. 

"No. I don't mean kotoamatsukami." Shisui said with a smile. "Now that the Uchiha coup is done, I will never use my Mangekyou again." 

Shisui stood and walked to the counter, facing away from them. "Besides, as far as anyone else knows, I  _ can't  _ use it anymore." The man turned around to look at the duo on the couch. "All of Danzo's sharingan were destroyed, and everyone thinks that my jutsu required both eyes." Shisui activated his sharingan. "I'm trusting you, Hatake Kakashi and Tenzo, because I think we could be allies… even  _ friends  _ after all of this is done." 

Shisui flipped up his eyepatch to reveal the matching sharingan, and winked at them before flipping the fabric back down. Kakashi's jaw dropped. What the hell was happening here? Why did Shisui have both of his eyes again? 

"Once I get access to the reports and the pictures, I will send a raven to you. You'll know if it's one of  _ mine _ ." Shisui said with a smile before body-flickering out of the apartment. 

Shisui was strange, that much was for sure. Kakashi could hardly wrap his mind around what had happened today as they exited Shisui's now empty apartment. 

Kakashi and Tenzo walked home in silence, choosing not to speak again until they were safely back in their apartment. 

Tenzo was the first to speak. "They're dead? The g-gatekeepers?" 

Kakashi nodded, not trusting his voice as tears were already rolling down his face. Tenzo wrapped his arms around him, and they sank down to the floor together, sobbing with relief for the first time since they had been home. 

~

Kakashi and Tenzo had to pick up groceries the next morning. Even without his chakra, Kakashi could feel eyes on the back of his head. Someone was following them. He looked over to his Kohai, and could tell Tenzo felt it too. Kakashi looked around nervously, hoping that it wasn't Hisoki looking to get revenge. 

A presence made itself known about ten feet away. Itachi. 

"Captain." He said with a nod, then turned to the other boy. "Tenzo."

"I-Itachi." Kakashi said nervously. 

"I'm only here to inform you that the eyes you feel on you are mine. The Hokage does not trust Hisoki to keep to himself, and I have been assigned to shadow you when you are out and about, along with Yugao." Itachi spoke professionally. 

Great. His Anbu team is being wasted on guard duty. "Why are you telling me this?" Kakashi asked quietly. It wasn't part of protocol to inform someone of their protection detail. 

"I feel it would be more beneficial to  _ you  _ if you were aware that it was me, as opposed to being on edge looking for enemies." Itachi answered calmly, giving a rare smile to his captain and teammate. 

_ Right.  _ Itachi had been part of the rescue operation. Shisui had mentioned his Anbu team had been present. How much had he seen? How could you really respect your captain if you had seen them like  _ that _ ? 

Itachi must have seen something on his face. "Captain… we can't dodge everything. You'll heal from this, in time." The younger man said. He went to turn away, but paused. "And tell my cousin that he'd better treat you right. I won't stand for anyone disrespecting my captain." Itachi said with a small smile. It had been a while since Kakashi had seen Itachi smile. Once the rumors of the coup started, Itachi had definitely lost some of that spark. 

Kakashi couldn't respond before Itachi returned to the shadows. Strangely, he felt a little better. He trusted his team, and knew they would keep Hisoki away from him. Kakashi and Tenzo were only able to carry a small amount of food, since their arms were still very weak and they hadn't started their physical therapy. If Gai came by again, he would ask the man to pick them up a few things. (Even though he was sure the fresh air would do them good.) 

Before they even got back inside Kakashi's apartment, a raven landed on the railing outside his door. It squawked loudly, and watched them carefully. The bird was  _ huge _ , larger than any wild raven Kakashi had seen before. 

_ Shisui worked fast _ . Though to be fair, the man was known for his speed, Kakashi just hadn't known it would translate to everything else as well. Tenzo blinked at him, waiting for the order.

"I guess we're going to Shisui's." Kakashi said with a shrug. He tried to maintain his bored persona, but truthfully, he was looking forward to seeing those pictures. Not only did he want to see that Brutus was dead for himself, but he wanted to see the report. This was a  _ mission _ . And he wanted to treat it as such. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long!

They put the groceries away quickly and walked to the Uchiha's apartment. If they weren't there for mandatory therapy, Kakashi would invite Itachi inside. Itachi probably didn't see his cousin too often now that he had been booted from the clan. They didn't even have to knock. Shisui opened the door immediately and looked to a rooftop across the way. Sure enough, Itachi stepped out into the light and waved at his cousin. Shisui smiled brightly before ushering both of them inside. 

"The Hokage informed me that you would probably have a follower today, and I'm glad my assumption was right about it being Itachi." Shisui said happily as he poured some coffee. 

"The Hokage told you that?" Kakashi asked curiously, wondering what kind of clearance the younger man had. 

Shisui nodded. "Yeah. Only because I offered to keep an eye on you myself." He said with a shrug. That surprised Kakashi a bit. Why would Shisui go that far? He looked to Tenzo, who had a grip on the back of Kakashi's shirt. He looked just as confused. When he turned back, Shisui was directly in front of him. It was thanks to his extensive training and his weird trust in Shisui that he didn't flinch. 

"I thought since I have the pictures and the report on hand, we would do things a little different today. Go ahead and sit down so we can get started." Shisui announced, handing them each a cup. They did as they were told, and once again, Kakashi was amazed at how seamless the transition from reality to genjutsu was. He kept Tenzo's hand in his, interlocking their fingers tightly. 

"I think today we'll do a little exercise. We're gonna go through the report and pictures together, and I want you to say anything that it makes you think,  _ out loud _ . I'd like to get a good lead on where your head's at. If I want to do that  _ without  _ intruding into your thoughts, I'll need you to say them out loud for me. Can you do that?" Shisui asked, sitting across from the couch. Today, there was a small coffee table between them, a closed folder the only thing on it. 

Kakashi nodded his head slowly. He couldn't peel his eyes off of the folder, knowing there were awful pictures inside. 

"Okay." Shisui said calmly, watching him close. "Would you like to read the report first? Or look through the pictures?" 

Kakashi thought for a minute. "I guess I'd like to read the report first." 

Shisui picked up the folder before Kakashi had noticed he had even moved, holding it up and pulling the report out. He clearly didn't want Kakashi to see the pictures yet. 

"Go ahead and read it. Then we can discuss the pictures." Shisui spoke easily, his voice understanding. 

Kakashi took the forms with a shaky hand, focusing on his breathing. He set the papers in his lap so he could keep holding Tenzo's hands while he read. 

**Report, 5th of June**

**Responding parties: Might Gai, Inuzuka Tsume, Shiranui Genma, Weasel, Sparrow.**

**Original responding team reported missing after one month: Hatake Kakashi, Tenzo (no surname)**

Kakashi was almost upset to see his real name on the report, though he knew that they had accepted this as a street clothes mission, and weren't using code names. He took a few deep breaths, knowing it only got worse from there. 

Kakashi read through the rest of the report. Reading about Gai's extensive efforts to find the building, and the trail they finally found that led them to the operation. 

The most surprising part was that they  _ actually  _ kept a record book of transactions. It appeared each victim was given a number, and each time they went through the auction, the number showed up again. 

"Do you… have the auction book?" Kakashi asked tentatively, looking up to the younger man. Shisui already had the book in his hand, clearly predicting Kakashi's need to see it. He flipped through the book, thinking about the dates at the top carefully. They had set out on January 2nd, had been kidnapped the first day, and were auctioned at the end of the week. He flipped through the pages, landing on January 9th. He swallowed nervously. Kakashi remembered the voice like it was yesterday. He was the first name on the list. He knew that for sure. 

His eyes finally moved down to the first number on the list. 

**Item 352 - $80,000 - customer ID: AT74J**

Kakashi stared at it with wide eyes. That man… who had done  _ awful  _ things to him, had paid  _ $80,000  _ for it? 

**Item 353 - $75,000 - customer ID: DP82G**

Kakashi  _ knew  _ that was Tenzo's number. He wasn't even sure how. But what surprised him more than that was that the rest of the victims were sold for less than $40,000 each. 

Kakashi skimmed through the book quickly, noting that they were always bought for a higher price than everyone else.  _ Maybe it was because they were ninja? _

Kakashi  _ was  _ happy that the book didn't reflect all the times he had been bought by a  _ group _ , and passed around like some sort of  _ toy _ . 

He only paused briefly on each page, but froze completely when he ran into one of the entries where Kakashi and Tenzo's customer numbers matched. Kakashi felt his face going a bit green, wishing with all of his heart that he couldn't  _ see  _ Tenzo getting violated when he closed his eyes. His body shuddered uncomfortably, and he snapped the book shut quickly. Shisui didn't comment… but there was no way he didn't already know what had set Kakashi off. 

The teen forced himself to reopen the original report, breezing through the description of the area and a recount of the victims. Finally, he had enough of that, handing it back to Shisui.

"Do you need a moment?" The Uchiha asked, still assessing him. 

Kakashi shook his head. "No. I just want to get this over with." 

He  _ did  _ feel a bit better reading the report. Reading about the poison, and the methods used by their captors helped considerably. 

Shisui handed him the rest of the folder, his eye carefully blank. Kakashi was still curious about the other eye, but decided that was a question for the future. 

He took a deep breath, flipping open the folder on his lap so he could go through each picture individually. The first one was a picture of the building. Kakashi hadn't even  _ seen  _ the building, and was surprised to find it looking shockingly…  _ normal.  _ It could have been used for  _ anything.  _ He realized that he wasn't going to be able to speak about any of this. Not even that first picture. 

Kakashi looked at shisui and sighed. "Is it…  _ possible  _ for you to just read my mind while I look at these? I don't think I'm going to be able to talk about this." 

A look of surprise flashed across Shisui's features, only for a moment. "I  _ can.  _ Are you sure that's what you want?" 

Kakashi continued to think. He swallowed nervously before nodding. 

He waited, and felt nothing. Kakashi looked up, wondering why Shisui was hesitating. "Are you going to do it?" 

"I already am." Shisui said plainly. 

_ Right. Uchiha prodigy.  _

He heard a huff of amusement from the other man, and had to remind himself that someone else was reading his thoughts. He looked back to the picture again, at the excessively  _ normal  _ looking building. 

Kakashi moved on, looking at the pictures of the first lower level. The other victims were all kept in similar conditions, though he was fairly certain they had looked far worse than these ones. 

Scattered in between were pictures of the enemies that were killed. The first few, Kakashi didn't recognize. Then, there was a picture of one of his first customers. He froze, staring at the bald man with the sharp teeth. He could still feel those teeth grazing his skin, digging in at random points while he screamed in pain, attached to the ceiling. 

Suddenly, he realized why having Shisui read his thoughts was a bad idea. He moved on from that picture quickly, skimming through victims until he landed on Brutus. Kakashi almost dropped the picture, images flashing through his mind of the man dragging him, degrading him, and holding him down while the other man hacked away at his hair. The worst part… was when the man collected him after an auction. The first time, Kakashi had been so  _ terrified _ , attached to the table, violated, and injured. The man looked at him like he was the most vile piece of garbage on the planet. 

_ Shit _ . He was still broadcasting all of this to Shisui. 

Kakashi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself enough to continue. 

Thankfully, the next few pictures were victims again, each one looking slightly worse than the last. 

Tenzo's handler was next. As soon as his eyes landed on the man's lifeless form, a barrage of images flashed through his mind. Tenzo being dragged away the first time, Kakashi screaming for him while Brutus dragged him ahead. Tenzo being thrown to the ground numerous times, naked, bloody, and crying. The bastard came to collect Tenzo after they had been used by the same group.

Kakashi shuddered, willing those thoughts away. Not only was it unpleasant to think about, but Shisui  _ really  _ didn't need to hear about that. 

More pictures of victims again, then the medic that had revived him on  _ several  _ occasions, and finally… their cage came into view. The first thing he noticed was all the blood stains on the floor. He was fairly sure  _ none  _ of those had been there when they were first incarcerated there. 

The inside of the tub also appeared to be tinted red permanently, and just seeing it brought back the awful memories. Washing blood, sperm and who knows what else out of Tenzo's hair before helping him into the tub. There were several occasions where Tenzo had simply passed out in the water, and Kakashi always considered holding his head under before he helped him out. 

He turned to the real Tenzo, sitting still, squeezing their interlocked hands. Kakashi didn't regret the fact that he had been too cowardly to go through with it. He and Tenzo would heal.  _ Together.  _

He  _ did _ regret turning back to the pictures, because they were the next victims pictured. The picture of Tenzo, unconscious in Tsume's arms was the worst one he had seen. The boy was nothing more than a skeleton. His skin was purple with bruises, and Tsume had the look of absolute horror in her eyes. 

Kakashi wasn't sure he wanted to continue. He knew the next picture would be of himself. With his hand shaking, he pulled out the next one. His ragged body lying limp in Gai's hands. The worst part, was the look on Gai's face. The man looked like he had  _ failed  _ Kakashi personally. Thanks to the report, he knew that Gai had spent almost five months searching for him. He probably  _ did  _ feel like it was his fault that they were in such terrible shape. 

Kakashi squeezed Tenzo's hand. He could understand why Gai felt that way. After all, he felt like  _ he _ had failed Tenzo as well. Kakashi, the famous  _ copy ninja _ , couldn't break free and save his kohai from a traumatic experience. 

"It's not your fault." Shisui spoke softly. "Though I know saying that won't help." 

Kakashi turned to the younger man. Once again, he had forgotten that he was being watched, and let his mind wander. 

"As of right now, I am no longer reading your thoughts. But… I think maybe you should know that Tenzo blames himself too. The fault here lies with neither of you. If they had enlisted  _ trackers  _ from the beginning, instead of jumping straight to an undercover operation, this wouldn't have happened. In this day and age, the council and the Hokage are too loose with their Anbu." Shisui spoke, anger evident in his eye. 

Kakashi felt like putting all of the blame on Hiruzen was unjust, and Shisui seemed to read that on his face. 

"Yours is  _ far  _ from the first instance of this. I've been tracing this pattern  _ far  _ back. Hiruzen… he doesn't try for the diplomatic or safe solution anymore. I'm not the only one that thinks so. He is allowing the council to influence him far too much. You wouldn't be so quick to defend him if you knew what they were trying to do with the Uchiha rebellion. With Itachi.  _ They  _ didn't suggest Kotoamatsukami.  _ I did _ ." Shisui spoke strongly. "Maybe someday… I'll show you. But for now, I think Tenzo needs you. Are you ready to drop the genjutsu?" 

Kakashi nodded, turning towards Tenzo. The genjutsu dropped, and the younger boy was launching himself into Kakashi's arms before he could react. After a brief flicker of panic flashed through his brain, he wrapped his arms around Tenzo. 

"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked tentatively, feeling his kohai shaking lightly. 

Tenzo nodded, his face buried up against Kakashi's chest. 

Kakashi realized that Tenzo was probably not used to feeling so many emotions at once. He was former Root. All of this… their abduction included, was a bit much for him to try to work through by himself. "It's okay, Tenzo. I'm here for you." 

Tenzo was warm. Kakashi hadn't noticed how cold he had been before. Maybe it was because he was  _ always  _ cold now. 

Once Tenzo had calmed down, they thanked Shisui, but didn't leave yet. Kakashi peeked his head out the door, and made the Anbu signal to "come" out into the open air. 

Itachi popped up next to the door. "Is there a problem, Captain?"

Kakashi smiled down at his other kohai. "I thought you might want to join us for some coffee." 

Itachi's eyes widened, and then he  _ smiled, _ following his captain back into the apartment. Shisui was there in a flash, hugging his younger cousin tightly. 

Tenzo and Kakashi settled back on the couch comfortably, nestled against each other while Shisui and Itachi chatted. 

~

Once they had finally left Shisui's and returned home (with orders to return in two days), Kakashi shut the door to the apartment and immediately started crying.  _ Why _ was it so difficult for him to hold in his emotions now? It felt like every time he turned around, his stupid eyes were watering. This time, he wasn't sure what he was crying for. Relief? Stress? The young captain had no clue. 

Once Tenzo turned around to face him, his brown eyes were overflowing as well. Kakashi reached out, pulling the younger boy into his arms and lowering them to the floor. Kakashi rested his back against the door, with Tenzo settled in his lap with his hands fisted in Kakashi's shirt. They both continued to cry, sobbing quietly together for reasons unknown. 

~

A sharp knock on the door behind him woke Kakashi up. Apparently, they had both fallen asleep on the floor. Tenzo moved quickly, standing up so Kakashi could answer the door. 

He opened it, and Gai was standing there, looking them over worriedly. "You look exhausted, Rival." 

Kakashi hummed in agreement. "It's a combination of things, really. I promise you, I've been getting plenty of sleep." 

Gai seemed unconvinced, but nodded anyway. "I just thought I'd stop by to check in on you, Kakashi. How are you two doing?" Gai asked, looking over to Tenzo, who had one hand clutching Kakashi's shirt tightly. 

"Maa… we're fine, Gai. But I am happy you stopped by. I was hoping to ask you a favor." Kakashi answered, his friend perking up at the request. 

"Anything!" He said excitedly, giving Kakashi a thumbs up. 

"I was hoping you could pick us up some groceries. It's still pretty tiring to carry things all the way across town." Kakashi asked sheepishly. 

He had barely finished his sentence before Gai was shouting again. The sheer volume of his friend was enough to make him uncomfortable, but he tried to hide it. "Of course! I will bring back  _ lots  _ of groceries for my dear rival!" He yelled as he took off down the street. 

Kakashi had planned to give him a list, but knew it was far too late for that. Gai was gone.

Kakashi shut the door, shivering at the cold air that had been let into the apartment. "Come on, Tenzo. Let's watch a movie." 

~

Kakashi and Tenzo were buried in a pile of blankets, huddled together to keep their body heat up when Gai knocked on the door again. Kakashi refused to leave their blanket fort. "Gai! Come in!" He called out, hoping he wouldn't have to get up. 

Thankfully, the door opened. "Rival? I hope you don't mind… but I ran into some of our friends at the market." 

Kakashi was immediately on edge, but remained on the couch with Tenzo. If they had a problem with their closeness, they could leave. Gai walked in first, carrying a concerning amount of bags. It was probably the result of some sort of challenge he had issued himself. 

Next, Kurenai and Asuma walked in. There was a small moment of shock when they saw the two teenagers, but they recovered quickly. They were also carrying some bags. Kurenai walked over slowly, pulling out a couple thick coats from her bag. "I thought you two could use some warmer gear." She said with a smile, hanging the coats by the door. 

"Thank you Kurenai. That's very thoughtful of you." Kakashi said, smiling behind his mask. He looked to Tenzo, who barely had his eyes peeking out of the blankets. 

Next through the door came Genma and Raidou, carrying a bag each that they brought over towards the couch. 

"Thought you might need more movies." Genma said with a shrug. He and Raidou pulled out their piles of movies, setting them on the floor by the TV. 

Kakashi was speechless. Even more so when Anko walked in the door next. "Don't forget  _ me!  _ I brought cookies and chocolate!" Kakashi had never been a fan of sweets… but that was  _ before  _ he spent six months eating rice. 

"I… I don't really know what to say. Thank you guys so much." Kakashi responded quietly. 

"It's really not a problem, Kakashi." Asuma answered, taking a seat on the floor. Tenzo tensed up a little into Kakashi's side, but otherwise he seemed fine. Kakashi didn't think anything of it until Kurenai sat next to her boyfriend, and Genma and Anko sat near them too.  _ Were they staying _ ? 

Raidou came out of the kitchen, a frown on his face. "Hey, where's-" he started, stopping his thought when he finally noticed the top of Tenzo's head peeking out at him. Kakashi knew they were wound tightly together, sitting so close that one might not even notice Tenzo there at all. He didn't feel embarrassed about that. He  _ couldn't _ , not when he felt so warm and cozy. 

"Didn't even see you there, kid." Raidou said with a laugh, settling on the floor next to the others. Gai was apparently the only one brave enough to risk sitting on the couch, plopping himself down on the other end. Tenzo gripped his shirt a little tighter under the blankets, and Kakashi did his best to soothe him. He felt like one of those monkeys… the ones that walked around with their babies clinging to them. Kakashi rubbed his hand over Tenzo's, and the boy relaxed a little. 

"So what are we watching?" Anko shouted enthusiastically, the group breaking off into their own little conversations. They stayed for the whole rest of the movie, and Kakashi was sure they would leave after that. He knew that they weren't the best company. Kakashi and Tenzo said nothing, just watching the movie and occasionally following a conversation. 

It didn't matter. Gai popped in an action movie next, and everyone stayed where they were at. Tenzo was asleep before long, his head slowly dropping onto Kakashi's shoulder. By the end of the second movie, Kakashi was exhausted too. The group seemed to pick up on that. 

"Well, I think we will leave you to rest, dear Rival. Take care of our little friend. I will check on you in a day or so." Gai spoke quietly, mindful of his volume since Tenzo was still asleep. 

The rest of the group stood slowly. Kurenai and Anko shot Tenzo looks that showed they thought he was adorable, and Kakashi was glad his kohai was asleep for it. Otherwise, they filtered out of the apartment seamlessly, leaving the two of them alone at last. 

It wasn't long before Kakashi was asleep too. 

~

The night went by uneventfully, but there was a knock on the door early in the morning. It was probably just Gai. Kakashi sighed, crawling out of bed with Tenzo in tow. 

"Maa, Gai… it's too early." He mumbled as he opened the door, only to be shocked when it was Shisui on the other side. The younger man didn't look  _ normal.  _ Frankly, he looked like he was close to boiling over in anger. 

"Oh. Hi Shisui. I didn't expect to see you." Kakashi spoke, about as uncool as he could have said it. 

Shisui was apparently having a hard time meeting his eye, visibly trying to calm himself down while Tenzo peeked around Kakashi. 

"I'm sorry to show up unannounced. I really hate that I have to be here… but I need to speak with you." Shisui spoke quietly, finally looking up into Kakashi's eyes. He knew the other man's anger wasn't directed at them… but that didn't make him feel any better. "O-okay. Come on in, then." Kakashi offered, stepping aside and granting the Uchiha access to the apartment. 

Shisui walked in and sat on the floor across from the couch, still stewing in whatever was bothering him. 

Kakashi was worried. Whatever it was that was pissing Shisui off was likely going to directly affect them. He sat tentatively on the edge of the couch, squirming a bit as Tenzo settled in next to him and they waited for the other teen to talk. 

Shisui sighed, pulling his eyepatch off in frustration as he met their gaze. "Our  _ Hokage  _ wants to have Inoichi probe your minds to get pictures of the customers you were with." 

Kakashi's heart sank. It was important for them to find out who the customers were. Kakashi knew that. Tenzo knew it too. But a Yamanaka probing his mind? It would be out of his control. It would likely even  _ hurt,  _ not to mention the fact that Inoichi filtering through his mind would force him to relive the entire operation in one sitting. The man wouldn't be able to pick and choose only relevant memories. It was a breach of Kakashi's privacy, through and through. 

Kakashi shuddered just thinking about it. Now he understood why Shisui was pissed. A mental invasion like that would likely set their healing back quite a ways. 

"Maybe…" Kakashi thought out loud, trying to think of any other way to do it, and drawing a blank. 

"I already tried talking him out of it. So did Tsunade. If I couldn't convince him, and the giant hole Tsunade punched through his office wall couldn't convince him… you won't be able to." Shisui replied bitterly. 

Kakashi dropped his head, staring down at his hands. "Do we  _ both  _ have to do it?" Kakashi asked in a near whisper. Shisui didn't respond. It didn't matter. Kakashi already knew the answer. 

"I…" Shisui started, stopping to gather his thoughts. "I've volunteered to allow you to show me. If you reverse a genjutsu on me, you can show me whatever memories you choose. It would be less…  _ damaging _ than having someone probe your mind." 

Kakashi was speechless. Not only was that a huge show of trust from the Uchiha… but he would be volunteering to sit through and watch their torture. Listening to someone's thoughts was much different from viewing memories in their entirety through the sharingan. It was much more taxing… more of a strain on the mind. It would be as if Shisui had been there the entire time with them, feeling the same fear and pain that they felt. 

Any genjutsu that Shisui could produce would no doubt be powerful. It was likely that he wouldn't be able to break out of it himself without Tenzo or Kakashi allowing it to break. 

"Are you sure about this? That's… a lot to do for someone else." Kakashi asked tentatively. 

Shisui chuckled darkly. "If you  _ have  _ to do this… I'd like it to do as little damage as possible.  _ I don't make rash decisions.  _ Trust me on that. I've thought about this from every angle. This is the best way." 

Kakashi looked over to Tenzo. The boy was shaking, so he wrapped an arm around him. This would be terrible either way… but Shisui was right. Kakashi nodded to the man sitting on the floor. 

Shisui sighed. "If he wants to see the customers so badly, and can't live with you describing or drawing them...I'll make sure he regrets that decision." 


	7. Chapter 7

Shisui shook his head as he walked, trying to get his thoughts under control. He made the slow walk across town to Kakashi and Tenzo's place, wondering just what the hell it was that made him go over the deep end. 

Because he  _ had  _ to be nuts to be volunteering for this. 

They were going to use genjutsu on him.  _ His own  _ genjutsu. 

_ I can't break out of that. I can't control it.  _

It was a terrifying thought. He trusted Kakashi and Tenzo, sure. But who the hell in their right mind does this  _ on purpose? _ Genjutsu was  _ dangerous _ . And what was  _ he _ going to do with it? 

_ Oh that's right. Just basically experience someone else's trauma first hand.  _

Shisui shook his head again, readjusting his hood as he walked. He couldn't afford to draw too much attention to himself as he wandered through town. 

Yes, their goal was to simply look at the faces of the customers… but it was never that simple when it came to memories. Most likely, the two Anbu would have to associate the person  _ with _ something in order to bring up the memory. Shisui was definitely going to get more than he bargained for. 

Of course, he would be fine. Once everything was all said and done, he would need to refocus his  _ so-called  _ "genius brain" and sort through what was real, and what wasn't.  _ Then _ , he would be able to separate himself from whatever awful things they show him. 

Knowing the end would be okay didn't exactly excite him for the process, though. 

As he got closer to the building, Shisui didn't react when Itachi landed gracefully next to him. He had  _ asked  _ for his younger cousin's help, after all. 

He waited, wondering what Itachi might have to say about all of this. 

_ Are you sure? _

_ Maybe this isn't the best way.  _

_ Why would you do this for them? _

But of course… Itachi said nothing. Shisui wasn't lying when he said he never made rash decisions, and Itachi knew that better than anyone. 

The silent duo finally reached the stairs to move up Kakashi's building, and Shisui paused. He paced a bit, running his hands through his hair nervously. 

_ "Shit."  _ He cursed under his breath, trying to gather himself for this. Kakashi and Tenzo had agreed to this yesterday… but they didn't need to see him so high-strung about it. He shook his hands, trying to get his blood moving a bit faster and loosening himself up. 

Itachi still sat silent, remaining there as a pillar for Shisui to latch onto if he needed. He had always been grateful for his cousin's silent support, and this time was no different. 

Finally, Shisui walked up the stairs, knocking on the door quickly. 

Kakashi opened it immediately, with Tenzo clinging to him like normal. Shisui wouldn't normally let such codependency go on for so long in his patients, but he knew that it was only helping these two adjust. They would either separate back to a normal friendship with time, or get together. Honestly, Shisui wasn't sure which was more likely at the moment. 

Kakashi let them in, though he was obviously confused by Itachi's presence. 

"Don't worry. Itachi won't see anything. He is only here to help you reverse the genjutsu on me." Shisui reassured the older man. After all, neither of them were currently capable of wielding chakra. 

He didn't bother mentioning that Itachi was also there as a fail-safe in case the genjutsu goes on for too long, or if one of them has difficulty releasing it. Personally, he'd rather not have his brain reduced to mush. 

Shisui sat on the floor, crossing his legs and removing his eyepatch. "Are you both ready for this?" He asked, as calmly as he possibly could. Both teens settled on the couch, nodding slowly. 

"Good." He replied, fighting to keep his voice level. If they had been capable of using chakra at this moment, both of them would likely sense his distress through his own chakra signature. Luckily, that wasn't the case. "Alright. Itachi is going to show you the signs, and then once we are ready, he will send chakra through your hands so you can complete the jutsu. I will time my genjutsu to line up with your last hand sign, so there won't be any overlap where I am in control. Okay?" 

Kakashi and Tenzo nodded again, and Shisui didn't much care for the worried expressions on their faces. While Itachi was showing them the signs, he created a shadow clone, giving it enough of his chakra to last through the genjutsu. The clone sat next to him on the floor, bracing itself for the inevitable pain to come. 

Everything was set. Itachi had a light hand on both of the other teens, ready to send chakra through. Shisui took one last deep breath, and nodded. The boys flew through the signs, and Shisui focused on Kakashi's hands, while his clone focused on Tenzo's. Finally, the last sign was weaved, and Shisui was flung down into a dark room with metal tables. 

~

It wasn't nearly as bad as Kakashi had expected. He wasn't reliving anything at all. As he sifted through his memories, feeling Itachi's chakra running through his veins, it was more like he was viewing the entire spectacle as a third party. He could feel Shisui's presence… but he couldn't see him, and had no idea how the man was viewing the whole ordeal. 

He flashed through memories, trying to get the best view possible of all the faces of the people who had hurt him. It was harder than he thought to simply focus on the faces, and a lot of other things filtered through. 

Even through the genjutsu, Kakashi could feel Tenzo's leg up against his, and used that point of contact to ground himself. 

Finally, he was finished. It felt like it had been hours. He hoped that wasn't true. One, because Shisui was still burning chakra while the genjutsu was going, and two, because they were also borrowing chakra from Itachi. 

Kakashi put all of his focus into breaking the genjutsu, and could feel Itachi withdrawing his chakra. The illusion broke, leaving the Anbu captain sitting on his couch instead of watching himself go through numerous horrors. All in all, it wasn't that bad…  _ for Kakashi _ . Shisui didn't look so great. His face was pale, (even paler than usual) and his arms were shaking a bit as he sat on the floor next to his clone. 

"Are you ready?" Itachi asked quietly, startling Kakashi since he had forgotten the man was still there. He was watching his cousin, concern evident in his face. Shisui didn't hesitate to answer. 

"Yes. L-let him out." He answered, his voice rough. Itachi's chakra stopped running between his hand and Tenzo's, and the younger Anbu blinked carefully. Shisui's clone immediately clasped his hands over his face, taking a shaky breath before dispelling in a cloud of smoke. 

Shisui's shaking amplified significantly as the clone's memories merged with his, and Itachi was by his side in a flash. The younger boy reached out to his cousin, but Shisui flinched away from him violently. 

_ "Fuck."  _ He cursed, running his hands through his wavy black hair. "I'm okay, I'm okay. Just… just don't touch me,  _ please. _ " 

Itachi nodded, choosing to sit on the floor near him instead while Shisui tried to sort himself out. 

Kakashi felt terrible, and by the way Tenzo suddenly had a death grip on his hand… he did too. He looked at the clock. They had been in the genjutsu for almost an hour, which was quite a bit longer than Kakashi had hoped. 

"Would you like a blanket, Shisui?" Tenzo offered quietly, holding out one of the blankets they had laying on the couch with them. Shisui looked up at him with watery eyes, and took the offering, wrapping himself up in it protectively.

"Don't look so guilty." Shisui said quietly. "Like I already said, I'm alright. I just need some time to work through this a little. My mind and body will separate the genjutsu from reality soon enough." 

Kakashi watched him carefully. He was a bit worried about the younger man, who was still shaking even ten minutes after the jutsu had been let up. Kakashi was also  _ more than aware _ of the fact that Shisui kept pawing at his neck, and refusing to make eye-contact with anyone. It was becoming increasingly and  _ alarmingly  _ clear what kind of view Shisui had during the genjutsu. If Kakashi had  _ known that  _ ahead of time, he probably wouldn't have agreed to this at all. 

Even aside from that, an hour of maintaining two genjutsus  _ and  _ a shadow clone had to be rough on his system. The chakra usage  _ alone  _ could be ridiculously exhausting… but the emotional stress of being put through genjutsu was worse. 

Plus… Kakashi was more than aware now of what things he had just put Shisui through. The fact that Shisui kept feeling for the collar and the magnetic bracelets was enough of a confirmation. 

Eventually, Kakashi invited both Uchiha to hang around and watch a movie with them. He knew that Shisui had probably only agreed because he wouldn't be able to make it far on his own just yet, and he couldn't stand the thought of someone else touching him to help him get home. In any case, Kakashi put in the least violent movie that they owned, and squished in with Tenzo on one end of the couch. Itachi sat on the floor in front of them, and they left Shisui the entire other half of the couch. 

It was nice. Both Uchiha made for very quiet company… the kind that  _ didn't  _ make Kakashi want to run away, or make Tenzo clutch on to him for dear life. It wasn't even awkward that Shisui was technically their therapist.  _ Shisui was still a teenager _ . 

It took until the end of the movie for Shisui to finally stop shaking. The younger man sighed deeply, unfurling himself from the ball he had forced himself into and stretching out his legs. 

"Thanks for letting me stay and work through it." Shisui said quietly, looking over to both of them. It felt  _ wrong  _ to be thanked… when it was  _ their  _ fault that he had been like that in the first place. 

"It's the least we could do… with all you've done for us." Kakashi answered with a small smile.

Shisui huffed a laugh, standing up and preparing to leave. "Well, in either case, it was nice to go somewhere other than Hokage tower for once." 

Itachi stood with him, looking over his cousin worriedly. 

"I'm  _ fine _ , Itachi. Don't worry." Shisui reassured him, placing a hand on his younger cousin's shoulder to prove his point. Kakashi and Tenzo walked with them to the door, saying their goodbyes and informing Shisui that he was welcome to come back and watch more movies with them. The younger man smiled brightly at that, thanking them once again before they both took off. 

Once the door was closed, both boys let out a relieved breath. It was over. No one was going to probe their minds. Tenzo wrapped his arms around Kakashi's waist and hugged him tightly. "We're gonna be okay, Senpai." Tenzo said quietly, hiding his face in Kakashi's shoulder. 

Kakashi hugged him back immediately, wondering how it was that they had gotten so close. Yes, they had shared trauma now. Yes, he felt safe around Tenzo. But how exactly did that translate to them hugging and holding each other all day? He wasn't sure. All he knew was that Tenzo's warmth relaxed him, and spread a wonderful feeling to his bones. Maybe that was enough of an answer for now. 

~

Shisui walked up the side of Hokage tower. Tsunade would be waiting for him up there already, and he was excessively grateful for her help. She had grown very fond of Kakashi and Tenzo, having seen them through that was definitely the lowest point in their lives. She wanted to see them through it, to help them get better, and it was  _ that  _ passion that helped convince Shisui to help as well. He understood how she felt. They didn't deserve all the horrible things that happened to them, and would likely never be the same way they were before. 

Shisui doubted that Tenzo would ever stray too far away from Kakashi ever again. He was the one thing that held the younger boy together through this whole mess. He also knew  _ for a fact  _ that Kakashi would never stop wearing the mask. After witnessing countless instances of criminals and perverts commenting on his "pretty face", all while looking at him like he was some  _ toy  _ for them to enjoy… he didn't blame him. 

Shisui shook himself, trying to shake those thoughts out of his head as he caught up to the legendary sannin waiting for him. She smiled warmly, thanking him once again for his efforts in helping her patients. 

Tsunade was more than aware of what he had gone through, and was quick to volunteer to assist him today. He would need the backup for this. They walked into Hiruzen's office, and the man looked up at them blankly. He had shown little to no remorse for the condition that Kakashi and Tenzo were in. Shisui intended to change that. 

"Good morning. I assume you are here with information on the customers?" The elderly man drawled. Shisui didn't much care for his tone, and judging by the death glare Tsunade was giving out, she didn't either. 

"Lord third, I have taken it upon myself to view the customers to spare them from having their minds trampled through. I wish to show you what I've found." Shisui spoke directly. He was never one to beat around the bush, especially in situations like this. 

The man chuckled uncomfortably.  _ "Show me? _ Just what do you mean by that? You couldn't possibly expect me to allow something like that." 

Before Shisui could answer, Tsunade did. "Hiruzen, you need to see it. You wanted your answers  _ so badly _ … well  _ here they are."  _ She shouted angrily. 

Shisui spoke after her. "I refuse to show anyone else until I can show you personally. I will  _ not  _ allow anyone to pilfer through their brains, either. It's either  _ this _ … or nothing." 

Tsunade took a step forward, clenching her fists as the Hokage's Anbu guards made their presence known. They weren't comfortable with Shisui's attitude. He didn't really care.  _ This  _ was why Tsunade had agreed to go with him as his backup. She stepped forward one more time, placing her hands on the edge of the desk to speak with her former sensei. 

"You need to see what you've done to them, Hiruzen." Tsunade spoke, her voice low and unwavering. "Even if it's just a watered down version without all of the worst parts." 

The Hokage was silent for a moment, thinking about his next move carefully. His hands were interlocked on his desk, and his mouth was set in a frown. Shisui had gambled with his ultimatum… and he still wasn't sure if it would work. But with Tsunade staring him down like he just drank her last bit of sake… he was leaning towards it working. 

"Fine." The man said gruffly. He raised a wrinkled hand to signal his Anbu guards. They didn't return to the shadows, but they  _ did  _ relax their stances a bit. 

Tsunade smiled at him triumphantly. "Go ahead, Shisui." 

The young Uchiha stepped forward, activating his sharingan in his one visible eye. Hiruzen would not get the same first person view that Shisui had to endure, but it would suffice. In a flash, the Hokage was under his genjutsu. Shisui could have  _ easily  _ filtered out the things other than the customers' faces… but he decided not to. Hiruzen deserved to see everything that Tenzo and Kakashi had shown him. Every instance of abuse, emotional and physical. Every time that Kakashi had been choked with his collar, and every time Tenzo had been called " _ little boy" _ … Hiruzen witnessed all of it. 

It was over quickly. Too quickly, in Shisui's opinion. He felt that Hiruzen should have to suffer through it for six solid months like the two boys had. Shisui  _ knew  _ that the Hokage had been advised to send an entire tracking team to go after the operation. He  _ also  _ knew that Hiruzen had laughed in their faces, and chose to send a two man unit  _ undercover  _ instead, before he even received any actual Intel on the group. 

_ He was directly responsible for everything Shisui had shown him.  _

After the genjutsu was dropped, Hiruzen said nothing. Shisui was a bit disappointed at the lack of a reaction, watching as the man just stared down at his hands. 

A warm hand on his shoulder startled him a bit. Shisui turned to look at Tsunade, who smiled warmly at him. "Thank you for your assistance, Shisui. Why don't you head out. I need to speak with our Hokage alone." 

Shisui nodded, thanking Tsunade for her assistance with a bow before flashing out of the building. He said nothing to the Hokage before he left. As far as he was concerned, the man deserved no pleasantries. 

~

Tenzo and Kakashi sat on the couch, watching a movie.  _ Again _ . It had been three days since Shisui had been over. They had gone to their first therapy session, and it had gone shockingly well. Even when they had seen Tsunade earlier in the day, she had managed to work with their systems a tiny bit. Kakashi's chakra network  _ had improved.  _ He was elated. Even if it was only the tiniest amount, he and Tenzo were one step closer to becoming ninjas once more. Kakashi was so happy that he had immediately swept Tenzo up into a giant hug when they had returned home. Now, they were essentially cuddling on the couch. 

Tenzo was laying on his back, head turned towards the tv, while Kakashi laid on his side next to him. His pale arm was wrapped around Tenzo's stomach, so he noticed immediately when it started to growl. 

"Would you like to go out to eat, Tenzo? We should celebrate our progress." Kakashi asked with a smile. 

Tenzo turned to him with a smile on his face. "Sure, Senpai. Where do you want to go?" 

Tenzo and Kakashi walked down the street together, heading towards the restaurant Kakashi had been wanting to go to since their return. Tenzo wasn't holding his shirt while they walked, but he was walking close enough that their shoulders brushed against each other occasionally. Kakashi found that he didn't even mind Tenzo's closeness in public.  _ That  _ was a bit of a shocking revelation. 

Not as big of a shock as when Kakashi froze in the middle of the road, watching a familiar pug running down the road with his nose to the ground. Tenzo stopped as well, looking to his captain curiously before turning to look in the same direction. 

Pakkun paused, lifting his head and making direct eye-contact with Kakashi. The look on his summons face was one of great relief…  _ at first.  _ It very quickly morphed when the dog took in Kakashi's appearance. His tiny legs carried him over to where the teenage duo were standing. 

"Pakkun." Kakashi acknowledged softly. 

"Pup. You haven't summoned us in a long time. We were getting worried." Pakkun commented. The question was there, but wasn't asked directly. 

"Maa… it's kind of a long story. Why don't you come with us to lunch?" Kakashi answered calmly, leaning down to scratch behind the small dog's ear. Pakkun leaned in to the affection, and Kakashi scooped him up into his arms. He had missed their company, and held the dog close to his chest as they continued their walk. Tenzo didn't question it when he changed their destination to the barbeque joint instead. 

At the restaurant, Kakashi sat Pakkun next to him on the bench. He explained everything as vaguely as he possibly could, without adding in any details he didn't have to. 

"Ah. So you haven't been  _ able  _ to summon us. I see. I'm glad to see that you're okay, kid. You too, Tenzo." Pakkun said with a smile, leaning into Kakashi's side. 

Were they  _ really  _ okay? He wasn't sure yet. What he  _ did  _ know, was that Tenzo smiled extra bright when Pakkun jumped into his lap and begged for extra pieces of steak. 

After lunch, they returned to the apartment. "Pakkun, do you think you could summon the others?" Kakashi asked hopefully. He missed his pack, and was looking forward to seeing them again. Pakkun nodded, and sauntered off into the bedroom. It took a moment for Kakashi to realize that Pakkun wanted to explain things to them so Kakashi wouldn't have to. Tenzo settled into the corner of the couch, waiting anxiously to see the rest of the dogs. 

It wasn't long before a stampede of paws was heard traveling down the hallway. Kakashi could see it in their eyes the moment they noticed how unhealthy he was. Instead of tackling him like they usually would, they all took turns rubbing on his legs and licking his hands. He didn't blame them. Kakashi knew he looked absolutely terrible, and none of them really knew the full extent of what had happened. He had no doubt that it wouldn't take long for them to hear whispers of the sexual abuse, not with the way everyone still whispered amongst themselves as they walked through the village. 

At least for now, Tenzo was enjoying himself as Bull planted his large head in his lap. 

~

The dogs had asked if they could stick around for a while, and Kakashi had agreed instantly. Not only had their couch cuddling kept him excessively warm, but the company was good for them too. The dogs told Tenzo stories of their homeworld, and of past missions. It was a comfort that Kakashi had missed since his return home. 

The only awkward part of the entire day was when Tenzo followed Kakashi back to the bedroom. They climbed into bed together, and Kakashi could sense the question on the tips of their tongues. The shared looks between the dogs was telling… but Kakashi didn't know what to say. How could he tell them that he was scared to be alone? Or that he was afraid to lose Tenzo, far more than he had  _ ever  _ been scared of losing anyone before? How could he possibly tell them of their shared experiences, and how all of that somehow had driven them closer together? He  _ needed  _ Tenzo to be close. Kakashi knew that. He needed to feel Tenzo's body heat next to him, to hear his steady breathing throughout the night. 

Maybe he didn't need to say any of that. The dogs all climbed onto the bed with them, ignoring the strange fact that their master was willingly sharing his personal space with another human being. They were smarter than he often gave them credit for. 

That night, Kakashi was happy to note that he didn't get cold even once. 

~

It was early the next morning when eight furry heads popped up, waking Kakashi and Tenzo instantly. A few seconds later, someone was knocking on the door. Kakashi and Tenzo climbed out of bed amidst the herd of dogs, walking quietly down the hall and towards the front door. Thankfully, none of the dogs said anything about Tenzo clinging to his shirt. 

As soon as the door was open, Akino and Bisuke were shoving their heads through Kakashi's legs to investigate the visitor. 

Shisui smiled at the sight, leaning down to greet the enthusiastic dogs. 

"Good morning, Shisui." Kakashi said with a yawn. 

"Sorry for showing up so early. I'm  _ also  _ sorry that I haven't stopped by or sent word to you for a few days. It's been pretty hectic lately." Shisui apologized as Kakashi stepped aside, inviting the man in. 

Pakkun stepped forward, sniffing the guest as he walked in. "Uchiha, huh? You smell like the one who has been hanging around in the trees outside." 

Shisui chuckled. "Itachi is my cousin, of course. I couldn't resist the opportunity to harass him." 

"Why has it been hectic? Is everything okay?" Kakashi asked, interrupting his dog's rude observations. 

Tenzo sat in his usual corner of the couch, and Kakashi squished in next to him, leaving plenty of room on the other end of the couch. He could feel Pakkun's eyes on him. The dogs still didn't quite understand his closeness with Tenzo, but thankfully weren't commenting on it. 

Shisui glanced meaningfully around the room, looking at the dogs. "Is it alright for me to speak freely?" 

Kakashi didn't really care if the dogs heard what Shisui had to say, but he looked to Tenzo. "Do you mind if the dogs stick around still?" He asked quietly, watching his kohai for any sign that he was uncomfortable. 

"I don't mind." Tenzo whispered, smiling as Bisuke pushed his face into Tenzo's hand. 

"Alright then." Shisui said happily. "Well, mainly it has been crazy because Hiruzen Sarutobi is resigning from his post as Hokage." He replied, taking off his eyepatch and blinking his usually covered eye a few times to adjust. 

Kakashi's jaw dropped. "What? Why?" 

Shisui shrugged. "After I showed him what you had shown me in the genjutsu, Tsunade had a long talk with him in his office. It seems he has finally realized the mistakes he has been making."

"But… he can't be resigning just because of  _ us _ ." Kakashi mumbled. 

Shisui sighed. "I already told you, Kakashi. This has been going on for a while now. Did you know that when Hiruzen was handed the file for your mission, it was highly recommended that he assign an entire tracking squad to the case? Instead, he chose to send you two straight into the fire, with  _ no  _ information on what was actually going on." 

Kakashi didn't know what to say. Even Kakashi knew that a tracking squad would have been a better call for a kidnapping case. 

"You're saying that Tenzo and Kakashi are like this as a direct result of the Hokage's ignorance?" Pakkun interrupted gruffly. The anger was clear in his voice. 

Shisui nodded, but could clearly tell that Kakashi wasn't convinced that one bad decision merited the Hokage stepping down. 

"Do you mind if Itachi joins us? I think it's time we talk about the rebellion." Shisui asked calmly. Kakashi nodded, and the younger man was at the door in a flash. He opened it, and Itachi was already there. The young prodigy walked in quietly, sitting on the floor with his legs crossed. Itachi smiled with Bisuke crawled into his lap, petting the small dog immediately. 

"Captain, thank you for inviting me into your home." Itachi greeted, as polite as ever. Kakashi nodded, and listened carefully as Shisui began to explain all of the events that led up to Shisui losing his eye and the rebellion being thwarted. 

"Hiruzen had given the green light for Danzo to present the mission to Itachi. Neither of them had faith in my Kotoamatsukami, and made plans for Itachi to slaughter our entire clan instead." Shisui said, finishing up his lengthy tale that left both Tenzo and Kakashi paler than they were before. Finally, Kakashi could understand why Shisui had been so angry with the Hokage. Looking at his younger kohai, who was only 13 now… he understood  _ it all _ . How could they have expected that of Itachi? If Shisui hadn't survived and found the right help… Itachi would likely be a missing nin now. 

"Who is taking Sarutobi's place?" Pakkun asked quietly. None of the dogs had said much during Shisui's story, but none of them looked happy. Most of them had crowded into the laps of the two Uchiha boys, trying to comfort them as best as they could. 

"Lady Tsunade will become the fifth Hokage." Shisui said happily. 

Pakkun hummed his acknowledgment, jumping back up into Kakashi's lap. "So what is the story about the genjutsu you showed the old man?" He asked suddenly, and Tenzo stiffened beside him. 

Shisui was clearly unsure about answering the question, and Itachi suddenly looked excessively uncomfortable. 

"They needed to see who was working with the organization we were assigned to infiltrate." Kakashi answered plainly, hoping the dog would understand that his vague answer was a plea to change the subject. Thankfully, Pakkun accepted that answer. 

"Would you like to stay to watch a movie?" Kakashi asked the two younger boys, and both agreed easily. Clearly, there wasn't enough room on the couch for everyone. Shisui and Itachi ended up sitting on the floor in a pile of dogs, while Bull took up residence on the other half of the couch. Kakashi leaned on Tenzo heavily, trying not to fall asleep while he listened to the younger boy's heartbeat. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Hiruzen's decisions about the rebellion differ a bit from actual canon. I still just don't like the guy. 
> 
> Sorry this update took so long! Thanks to those of you following me through this story!
> 
> P.s. comments are what inspire me to keep writing. So please! Tell me what you like, what makes you sad, what makes you happy, or any laugh or anything else! I'm dying to know!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! My big events are over! Thank you so much for waiting patiently, I am SO sorry that it's taken me so long to get this update out!

Tenzo woke up covered in warmth. Even without opening his eyes, he could tell that Kakashi's arms were wrapped firmly around him, their legs were tangled together, and all 8 of the ninken were on the bed with them. 

They had been home for nearly a month.  _ Home.  _ It was still a strange concept. They had yet to run into Hisoki or his crew again since they had been busted down in rank. He found it hard to believe that the other guys were  _ actually  _ avoiding them. More than likely, it was thanks to Itachi and Yugao that they were in the clear. 

Still, Tenzo found himself in a slight panic whenever they went outside. Every person that looked at them, or walked too close had him on edge. He could see the customers in the faces of every Konoha citizen. It was slowly getting better, but life was still a struggle. 

The only person that he could handle being touched by was still Kakashi. Tenzo had been…  _ confused  _ for a while now. Even before their mission, Tenzo's feelings had been troubling. He had been working through a crush on his captain. But now? It felt…  _ inappropriate.  _ After everything they had been through, how could Tenzo possibly be having these feelings? Just the thought made him queasy. 

Maybe in the future, Tenzo would be able to have some sort of functioning relationship without being reminded of the terrible trauma they had endured. But for now, his mind was warring within itself.

Tenzo watched Kakashi sleep, his slow breathing seeping out through his mask. The older boy had hardly taken the mask off since it was returned to him, barely even comfortable taking it off to shower. Tenzo missed seeing his face, but he understood. After all, he had been witness to several occasions where their captors and the customers spoke of his face. 

Tenzo shivered. He didn't want to relive their captivity. He  _ especially  _ didn't want Kakashi to ever be hurt like that again. It was bad enough just  _ knowing  _ what had happened… but being a witness to it? Being present  _ in the room  _ while they were both violated and passed around like a hunk of meat? 

Tenzo's fingers unconsciously tightened in the front of Kakashi's shirt. His mind was not listening. He didn't  _ want  _ to think about that.  _ Never again _ . 

Tenzo's eyes drifted back up, only to meet Kakashi's steely gray ones. He froze, trying not to think about the concern he could identify in those eyes. It would be strange when Kakashi finally had his sharingan back. 7 months. That's how long it had been sealed away. 

"Are you alright?" Kakashi whispered, arm tightening around Tenzo's torso as he was pulled even closer to his best friend. 

Tenzo simply nodded, not wanting to delve into bad memories. "Do you miss it?" He asked instead, nodding his chin towards Kakashi's left eye. 

Pale fingers left his side and winded their way up to the eye automatically. Kakashi's eyes were distant as he thought about the gift he was not allowed to use just yet. "Yes." He whispered. 

Tenzo moved his own arm from in front of him to wrap around his captain reassuringly. "Soon, Senpai." 

And it  _ would  _ be soon. Every therapy session they went to, they were able to do just a little bit more. The duo could walk across town without getting winded, and could carry their own groceries home. Every day, Tenzo could feel the change in his chakra pathways. 

The steady thrum in his veins was changing. It felt more  _ natural _ now. They had been denied chakra for so long that Tenzo hadn't even noticed how  _ wrong  _ it was when they had finally been given it back. Now, he could tell. They were  _ improving _ , and with each marker and milestone they hit in their recovery, Tenzo found himself less and less worried about losing Kakashi. The older boy even  _ smiled  _ once in a while now that they were finally  _ making progress.  _

Kakashi tucked his head into Tenzo's chest, allowing himself to be held. Tenzo's heart nearly leapt out of his throat. 

_ Would he ever be able to do this with someone else?  _

Just the thought of someone else being this close to him was enough to make bile rise in his throat. 

_ Kakashi was  _ **_safe_ ** _. He would never hurt Tenzo.  _

~

It was no surprise when Shisui knocked on the door later in the morning, but Tenzo still felt his heart beating wildly and couldn't seem to release Kakashi from his grip. They walked to the door together, Tenzo doing his best to stay out of the way while also clinging to his captain's forearm. 

No one would take Kakashi away from him now. Tenzo  _ knew  _ that. And yet… his grip tightened as the door swung open, and even more as Shisui casually eyed their connection. The older boy had not mentioned it so far, but even Tenzo could tell that he was concerned about it more and more each time he showed up. 

Shisui paused a few feet into the room, pursing his lips as he stared at the floor. "I was thinking… maybe we could try something different today." 

"Different?" Kakashi asked quietly, his body tensing up in front of Tenzo. 

Shisui nodded. "I think… maybe you two should spend a small amount of time apart." 

Tenzo squeaked involuntarily, and Kakashi immediately went to protest as well, but was stopped by Shisui's hands raising. "I know, and I wouldn't ask it of you if I didn't think it was important. Why don't we go for a walk with Itachi? Then after a while, we'll just…  _ split off  _ for a block or two. That's all. Just a couple minutes at the most. One of you can walk with me, and one of you can walk with Itachi." 

The room was quiet for a moment. Shisui was patient. He  _ always  _ was. Kakashi's body relaxed a small amount, and before Tenzo could think about it too much, twin gray eyes were in front of him. 

"Tenzo… I think he might be right." Kakashi said with a frown. "I don't like it either, but Shisui knows what he's doing. It'll only be a couple minutes." 

Tenzo made a show of releasing Kakashi's arm from his grasp. He nodded slowly, not trusting his voice not to break. 

It had sounded simple. They were walking through town, Kakashi and tenzo in the middle and the two Uchiha at their sides. As they got closer to their inevitable separation, Tenzo's heart rate picked up. He wanted to reach out, to grab Kakashi's hand and run back to the safety of their apartment. He didn't. Tenzo's arms were plastered to his sides as they walked. He wanted to show Shisui that he  _ could  _ do it. It didn't matter that they hadn't had more than five minutes apart since they had returned home. The door was left open to the bathroom. And even when one of them showered, it wasn't uncommon for the other to sit on the floor and wait for them to finish. 

Shisui stopped walking, and Tenzo's heart was trying to beat it's way out of his chest. Soft black eyes were watching him, he knew it. But Tenzo refused to look up from the pavement by his feet. 

"Hey." Kakashi spoke softly, his fingers drifting lazily through Tenzo's hair. The young Anbu finally looked up, meeting his captain's gaze once again. Kakashi swallowed nervously, his hand shaking the smallest amount as it threaded through brown strands. "It's going to be okay. I'll be back before you know it, okay?" 

Tenzo nodded slowly, but winced at the disheartened look that crossed Kakashi's features. Kakashi had wanted to hear his voice. "Okay… Senpai." Tenzo managed, trying to force a small smile. 

Kakashi started to walk the opposite direction, Itachi silently walking at his side, but his eyes remained firmly on Tenzo. Tenzo's feet were leading him away, but he couldn't tear his gaze away, not until there was a building in between them. Tenzo felt his lip quivering, the now familiar dampness of tears starting to cloud his vision. 

Shisui was probably watching him worriedly, but he couldn't bring himself to check. He felt  _ cold.  _ Kakashi had been his warmth for so long, and he felt like part of his soul had just been ripped out. 

Tenzo forced his legs to keep moving. Every step he took would bring him closer to Kakashi. The other man wasn't  _ alone _ . He had Itachi with him. But what if Hisoki showed up? What if one of their customers was visiting Konoha? 

_ What if Kakashi was captured again _ . 

Tenzo inhaled sharply, his lungs struggling to regain oxygen as he began to hyperventilate. 

Shisui was calling his name softly, trying to get his attention without making contact. The sound was muffled, as if Tenzo was cupping a glass jar to his ear. Warm chakra filtered into his system just as his vision began to blur around the edges.  _ Shisui was healing him… trying to regulate his breathing with chakra.  _

The older boy was resourceful. Tenzo could feel himself calming. The warmth of Shisui's chakra wrapped around his veins like a blanket, and Tenzo could feel that he was still walking forward. 

_ They were fine.  _ **_This_ ** _ was fine.  _

Tenzo forced himself to look up at Shisui. The raven-haired boy seemed relieved at the eye-contact, his rigid shoulders slumping minutely. Tenzo knew he was crying. He probably looked similar to a small child that had his favorite toy taken away. He wiped at his eyes violently, trying to get rid of the evidence of his weakness.

The road they were on was no longer deserted. Crowds of people walked amongst them, more than a few shooting confused glances at him. Tenzo kept his arms close, afraid to accidentally brush against a stranger. Everyone seemed so much taller and stronger than him, the buildings towering over them all. 

"Tenzo?" Shisui tried once more, and Tenzo finally  _ heard it _ , turning to face his friend. 

"You're doing great, Tenzo. I'm proud of you." Shisui said with a soft smile, his eyes displaying the truthfulness of the statement. Shisui wouldn't lie. He had  _ always  _ been honest with them… but Tenzo still found it hard to believe. 

"What do you feel like eating for lunch? I'm buying." Shisui asked, his voice as calm as ever. His face had been henged enough to make him nearly unrecognizable, but he still gave off the same relaxed vibe as always. Tenzo recognized the distraction for what it was, but it helped nonetheless. Tenzo focused on his stomach, forcing his brain to think about food instead. 

"I'm not sure." He finally answered, his voice hesitant. He could hardly focus as they rounded the last corner, his eyes already searching the crowd for the person he  _ hoped  _ would be there. 

_ But what if he wasn't? _

"Hey." Shisui's soft voice cut through his spiraling thoughts. "Kakashi is fine, see?" 

Tenzo looked to see where Shisui was pointing. Sure enough, Kakashi was walking up to them, his eyes trained on Tenzo. As they got closer, Tenzo's pace quickened. Kakashi's eyes were wet, and his face a bit pale, but he seemed fine otherwise. 

There wasn't a single moment of hesitation. They collided in the middle of the street, Kakashi wrapping his arms around Tenzo's shoulders tightly just as Tenzo's wound around his midsection. 

Distantly, Tenzo could hear Itachi reporting on their side of things, but more than anything he was listening to Kakashi's heart.  _ They were okay.  _

"Let's get some food, shall we? I'm starving!" Shisui announced, thankfully not commenting on their reunion. The two finally separated, walking together closely as Shisui led them to a small cafe for lunch. Tenzo breathed much easier after that, eating side-by-side with Kakashi. 

~

Kakashi let out a long sigh when they were finally back at the apartment. His body was exhausted from the emotional turmoil of their separation. Shisui had been  _ more  _ than right. They had needed a little time apart. Even if it  _ hurt _ . 

_ "If you feel like working on it at home, that's fine. Otherwise, we can continue working on it  _ **_together_ ** _." Shisui spoke softly.  _

Kakashi didn't know if he was ready to work on it daily. It had hurt  _ so much  _ to walk away from Tenzo. Shisui was  _ strong.  _ Shisui would protect Tenzo with his  _ life.  _ It didn't matter. Kakashi had collapsed within himself emotionally and he knew that wasn't healthy. 

Kakashi gripped onto Tenzo tighter. they had hardly made it into the apartment before they were together again. Kakashi breathed deeply, taking in the soothing scent of his teammate. 

Eventually, Kakashi excused himself to head to the bathroom, but Tenzo made a soft noise of disatisfaction. "Tenzo?" Kakashi questioned, wondering if the younger boy wanted to accompany him to the bathroom as well. Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised. 

Tenzo fumbled over his words, fiddling with his fingers. "I… uh… maybe-" He grunted, frustrated at himself for being unable to express his thoughts.  _ "Maybe _ , you should close the door while your in there." Tenzo finally mumbled. 

Kakashi was shocked. That was  _ not  _ what he had expected. Tenzo was willing to work on this, even when Shisui wasn't around. But… even more than that, it meant that Tenzo  _ trusted  _ him to be alone again. Kakashi hadn't been feeling quite as terrible as he had in that first week or so. His pills were helping, and he was able to look forward  _ knowing  _ that they were getting better.  _ They weren't hopeless.  _

Kakashi's eyes watered a bit, a small smile playing on his lips. "Okay." He whispered, moving back to place a hand on Tenzo's shoulder. "I'll be back in a minute." 

Kakashi finished his business as quickly as possible, feeling a bit lonely having the door closed. He knew he would get used to it, but it still left him feeling cold, even as warm water ran over his hands. 

Kakashi rushed back into the front room, finding Tenzo waiting patiently for him on the couch. His small body was tense, but his eyes weren't sad. Kakashi smiled, sitting casually on the couch next to his friend and pulling him into his side. 

~

Kakashi couldn't sleep. Tsunade had sent them a message saying that she wanted to extend their appointment time today. The note led him to believe that maybe she had a better understanding of how to help them. 

Kakashi wanted the sharingan back. He didn't miss covering up his eye. Honestly, he was enjoying getting a full view of the world around him. If he had gotten that eye from someone other than Obito… he might have considered having it taken out and replaced. As it was, the eye symbolized much more than just the Uchiha bloodline. 

They were  _ close.  _ Kakashi could feel his chakra trying  _ so hard  _ to travel through his system. His body wanted to heal. He didn't want to get his hopes up… but perhaps Tsunade thought they were close as well. 

"Kakashi?" Tenzo whispered quietly. Kakashi turned onto his side, looking at his younger friend who he had thought was asleep. 

"Are you okay?" Tenzo whispered, reaching a tentative hand out. 

Kakashi huffed a laugh, smiling softly. He reached an arm out, pulling Tenzo over to his side of the bed. They fit together easily. "Yeah. Just nervous." He answered, nuzzling into Tenzo's hair. 

"Me too." Tenzo mumbled. 

They didn't speak again. Kakashi listened to Tenzo's breathing, once again wondering how he could possibly be comfortable with this. Tenzo was warm like the sun, and he couldn't get enough. 

Eventually, Kakashi drifted off to sleep, Tenzo's warmth seeping into his bones. 

~

Kakashi and Tenzo walked through the village together, their arms brushing each other as they walked. Pakkun trailed behind them, occasionally stopping to check out scents that he found interesting. 

The novelty had seemingly worn off, and most of the villagers didn't stare at them anymore, hardly any of them sharing hushed whispers as they passed. Perhaps now that they looked a lot less like walking skeletons, they were more below the radar. 

The walk was peaceful, the cool morning air not chilling Kakashi completely to the bone like it had when they first returned home. They were  _ far  _ from healthy again… but atleast they didn't look like they were on death's door. They appeared more like someone who had suffered a great injury, and just hadn't trained in a long while. 

Tsunade was waiting for them in her office, having changed the location of their treatment as well. Kakashi hoped that teams of shinobi wouldn't be walking in while they were being worked on. Presumably, Tsunade would stop treatment temporarily and they would simply sit to the side. Both of them had high enough clearance to sit in on anything that walked through the door. 

Tenzo went first, sitting in the Hokage's chair while she kneeled in front of him. Tenzo was a bit uncomfortable with the arrangements, but Lady Tsunade insisted that this was the easiest way for her, as she was expecting a number of returning teams and Intel today. 

Tsunade had been working on Tenzo for an hour before their first interruption. Kakashi had been lounging on a bench to the side, reading a book he found on one of the shelves. It wasn't that interesting. Kakashi still spent most of his time watching Tenzo, and wishing the boy had made this bench. Tenzo's creations were always much more comfortable. 

Thankfully, it was just a quick check-in, and the boys were able to sit off to the side and wait. 

It was only ten minutes into the rest of Tenzo's treatment when the Hokage chair started to grow branches from the back. 

Lady Tsunade's eyes widened, her mouth parting into a soft smile as she looked over the mokuton branches. 

Tenzo appeared to be too nervous to turn around, staring down at his hands in awe. Kakashi was across the room in a heartbeat, ready to support Tenzo if he needed it. By the time he was at Tenzo's side, the younger boy already had tears streaking down his face. His lips were curved up into a shakey smile as he rested his palm on the arm of the chair, forcing the branches to merge back into the chair with ease. 

Tsunade was ecstatic, watching happily as Kakashi swiftly scooped his friend up into a hug. Now, he just had to hope that he got similar results. 

~

After nearly an hour into his own treatment, Kakashi's stomach started to sink. Tsunade's chakra warmed him, surging through his veins and working hard to fix the problems inside of him. Just as he was starting to lose hope for good, he felt it. It was as if his body simply  _ clicked into place _ , his chakra humming happily in his pathways. He was prepared for the surge of power after watching Tenzo, and managed to put a cap on it instead of frying Tsunade with his lightning. 

The older woman seemed to sense the change in him immediately, leaning away and tilting her head. "Well? Give it a shot." 

Kakashi chose not to release a straight chidori with the woman kneeling right in front of him. He gather his chakra in his palm nonetheless, and  _ it responded.  _ A bright white ball of chakra formed easily, and Kakashi watched it with wide eyes. 

"Can you break the seal?" Tsunade asked with a fond smile. 

It took a moment to register the question. Kakashi had nearly forgotten that all those months ago, he had been told that  _ he  _ had the power to unseal the sharingan. He froze, the chakra ball in his palm flickering back into nothing. 

Tenzo's hand landed in his, squeezing his fingers reassuringly as his other hand reached up to wipe new tears from his brown eyes. 

With Tenzo there to support him, Kakashi gathered his courage, sending chakra to his eye carefully. There wasn't any  _ big moment  _ that told him the seal was gone, no strange feelings lingering behind his eye. His vision simply started to tint to a familiar shade of red, tiny details becoming more clear as moments passed. 

It wasn't until then that Kakashi realized he was crying, relief soaking through his skin and into his bones as his mask became saturated with tears. Tenzo's arms wrapped around him, and even with his heightened vision, he couldn't react. 

He was  _ whole  _ again, his body happily humming inside from the return of his chakra. After a moment, he was able to return the hug, shaking as Tenzo whispered reassurances to him. Kakashi couldn't really tell what he was saying, but the warm hand rubbing soothing circles over his back and the other clinging around his neck was enough to ground him. 

"We're going to be okay, Tenzo." Kakashi whispered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Our boys are making great progress! It's all up from here!

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think! Comments are my life force and help keep me motivated to write!


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